Ry stepped away from her in shock and disgust. “Of course not! I expressly forbid Amy to be the bait. She isn’t trained for undercover work.”
Tara snorted at his reasoning. “Right! Like that’s the reason. Admit it, Stevens. In your eyes I’m expendable if something goes wrong. She’s not!”
Ry finally understood why Tara was being so difficult. Disgust that she would put his Amy’s life in danger because she was jealous suffused him. “Reynolds this has nothing to do with your crush on me or my refusal to date you and cheat on Melissa. This has everything to do with a very sick bastard preying on beautiful women and killing them for his own selfish amusements.”
“So you think I’m beautiful?”
Ry ignored her request for flattery; this wasn’t the time or the place. “We’ll need to get you some contacts and a push up bra. But you’ll do when we remove any woman who could give you competition.”
“Contacts? A push up bra? Listen here, mister. Not all of us can be born with perfect breasts and baby blues. We’re not all built perfect, like your doc!”
Ry gave her a knowing grin. “No, you’re not. But I’m sure she doesn’t think she’s perfect either.”
“She sure as hell acts like she does.”
Ry’s temper snapped. “Enough. Just give me a yes or a no answer Reynolds. I’m tired of wasting my time with you.”
“Wasting your time? Hell no, you didn’t just say that to me, Ry Stevens. How dare you! My answer is no. If she’s too precious to risk her pretty little neck, then so am I.”
Every time he went over that conversation in his mind, he got angry. “Amy is not a cop! How would she defend herself if it came down to that?”
He saw Hank grin. “Knowing you, she wouldn’t be out of your sight long enough to need to.”
“No, no, no, no, no! I won’t allow it. You had better stop considering it too.”
“Hey, Stevens, they just found number eight. Better keep the doc away from the pubs for the next few weeks.”
“Carter, what are you talking about?”
“If the doc is right then we’re back to baby blues.”
Ry swore. “Christ, this isn’t good, Hank. How am I going to stop her now?” Ry knew Hank had waited for Carter to leave before responding. He saw it written all over his smirk.
“You could try bedding her and keeping her sated until this crisis passes.”
“Think that would work?”
“No. But seeing your expression when I suggested it was worth suggesting it.”
Ry grinned as the image of Amy lying naked in his bed played itself out. “It would be a tough job, but I’d be more than willing to tackle it.”
“I’m sure you would be but—”
“You’d be more than willing to do what?”
Ry looked up to find his dream version of Amy didn’t even come close to the real woman. Now that he’d decided to pursue her, he wasn’t holding anything back anymore. “Tie you up and stuff you in a closet until the crisis passed.”
“I’d just put in green contacts and go without backup the next time.”
He hated it when she got stubborn. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“You can’t watch me every minute of every day.”
Ry decided that the time to shock her and stake his claim had finally arrived. “I’d be willing to try. What if I stole all your clothes?”
Amy stood her ground. She had the cutest look of defiance on her beautiful face and it distracted him like nothing else could. “I’d go naked!”
“We wouldn’t be short on cops to guard her if she did that, bro.”
“Funny, Hank. Very funny.”
“So you’ll let me go?”
Ry knew when to admit defeat. “You will wear a wire. I approve your wardrobe choice. When I say out, it’s over we leave”
Her angry frown made him want to laugh in victory, then kiss it right off her lips. “Anything else? My first born child maybe?”
Ry advanced on her, his eyes almost glowing with intensity. “We’ll discuss having children if you survive this foolish plan.”
Ry turned away and bit back his smile when Hank choked on his soda at the mention of children. But Amy, he noted, either hadn’t caught the reference or ignored it. The maddening woman.
“Whatever you say. I’ll go see if I can find anything in my wardrobe that’s suitable.”
“Remember, Amy, I get approval first.”
“Uh-hun. Later, Hank. You should be careful when you swallow. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”
Damn she did hear it.
“You are so gonna get it for that remark, partner. Amy will not just let that slide.”
Ry stared after her thoughtfully. “I’m counting on it, Hank, I’m counting on it. For her to get even with me, she’ll have to be in the same room as me.”
Hank laughed. “I hope you know what you’re doing!”
So do I.
***
“Stevens, I think we just got our first lead. Tanner is back from his interviews and he says he may have found a witness who saw victim number three, Carmela Walters, leave the night club.” The officer looked down at his notes. “Ah here it is; the club name was Exstacy, with a man who could be our suspect.”
“Where’s the witness?” Ry got up and started out the door, forcing the rookie to follow after him.
“With our sketch artist.”
“Good, and Tanner?”
“In the conference room putting the pics of the exes under the pictures of the victims so that the doc can easily associate who belongs to whom.”
Ry nodded his approval. Looked like the kid’s going to make a half decent cop after all.
“Tanner, tell me what—” A red haze of anger clouded his vision when he found Tanner leaning intimately over his Amy. “What the hell are you doing?”
He watched Tanner jump as far away from Amy as he could get. Amy, on the other hand, didn’t even flinch. Infuriating woman.
“Detective Stevens, I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t shout like that. You’re upsetting poor Tanner. Considering he just got you your first real break in this case, I think you should be nicer to him.” Amy didn’t even turn to face him while she spoke. “Don’t you?”
He didn’t know how she did it, but she could make him feel like a little child when she disapproved of something he did. “Tanner needs to toughen up. So tell me what has the golden boy found?”
“You mean besides a suspect that fits my profile like a glove? Nothing much of importance.” She turned and smiled at him. “Except his DNA.”
“His…. How the hell did you get that, Tanner? I swear if you’ve jeopardized this case in any way I’ll—”
“Ry, shut up and sit down. I think you’ve jumped to enough conclusions for an entire year. It’s time for you to look at the evidence for a change.”
Ry grumbled but complied with her order. He really hated it when she was right. “Sorry. Please explain.”
“Well, sir, I was talking to victim number eight’s boyfriend—”
“You mean ex don’t you?”
“No, sir. According to him and all her friends, they never broke up. She—”
Ry lost his patience. “What do you mean they never broke up?”
“Ry let him finish!”
Ry shut his mouth on all further questions. With a glare, he nodded that Tanner should continue.
“Um, well she was mad at him for flirting with the bartender. So she decided to accept when this guy, the suspect, asked her to dance. According to the witnesses, she passed out on the dance floor and he carried her outside for some air.”
“And the DNA?”
“Seems the boyfriend took exception to this stranger holding his girl in his arms and went after him. The suspect punched him, knocking him unconscious.”
Ry took a deep breath so he wouldn’t loose it with the kid. “The DNA, Tanner!”
Amy giggled at his impatience, the sound of her laugh
washed over him like a soothing balm washing his anger away.
“Well he must have nicked a tooth, cause the boyfriend woke up with blood on his face. I took the handkerchief he wiped his face with and brought it to the lab. It had 2 traces of DNA on it. One was his and the other was an unknown male.”
“Good thing most men are so lazy when it comes to doing laundry, isn’t it, Stevens?” Amy teased, trying to break the tension.
Ry ignored her playful jab; he wasn’t ready to deal with her yet. “Did we run it through all our databases? Including asking the Americans to run it?”
“Hank is talking to the Americans right now, Ry. Hopefully they’ll be able to find something. But I have a feeling it will be up to us to match this guy’s picture to get his identity. When you walked in, we were discussing where Tanner and a few of the rookies could go to show the sketch around.”
Ry bristled at the reprimand. “Okay, Tanner, you got your orders. You’re excused.”
“But—”
Ry glared at him. “Now!”
“Night, Doc. Maybe I’ll see you at the club?”
“Out, Tanner, now!”
“Ry Stevens! How dar—”
Ry waited till the door closed before grabbing her and crushing her to him. “He didn’t have to be leaning so close to you while you were talking.”
“Yes he did. We were looking at a map. Now let me—”
Leaning forward, Ry brushed his lips against hers. “We belong together, Amy. Sooner or later you will agree with me about that.”
“No I—”
He’d just been about to kiss her when they heard voices right outside the door. Hearing the door opening he was forced to let her go when Amy spun away so they wouldn’t get caught. He watched resigned as she walked out the door. I may have lost this time, Amy love, but we aren’t even close to being finished here.
“Hey, Stevens, where’s the doc going? Tanner said we had some new evidence. Doesn’t she want to go over it with us?”
“She had an appointment with a patient.”
“Oh. So no meeting then?”
Ry snapped himself out of his musings. “Okay. Settle down guys. If anyone besides Tanner and Hank are missing, go give them a call. We have this guy. All we need now is a bit of footwork and this nightmare is finally over.”
***
“Hey, Doc. You okay?”
Amy turned towards Hank and nearly screamed from the fright he’d caused her sneaking up on her like that. “Don’t ever do that to me again, Hank Adams. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wound this tight. What are you doing here, Doc? You know it’s almost time for the wacko to strike, and he’s back to … Damnit, Doc, if Stevens finds out you’re out here trolling for the killer he’ll have your hide.”
Amy counted to ten before replying. “What are you doing here? “
“Doc!”
“I’m here having a …trying to have a good time. Is there a law against clubbing?”
“Doc!!”
She saw the anger in his face and the set of his broad shoulders. If she wanted this maniac to focus on her she needed to get some attention focused on herself tonight. Amy looked Hank over with a tiny smile covering her lips. “Listen I—”
“Amy, I told you to stay home tonight.”
Amy’s whole body shivered at the tone of Ry voice. Looking up, she saw Hank slowly back away from her so as not to be caught in the crossfire. He’d been doing that a lot lately, the wimp. Turning around to face Ry, she squared her shoulders for the fight to come. “You don’t own me! I can do what I want, where I want, when I want and with whom I want. I am my own person, Ry! We are not dating!”
Ry narrowed his eyes at her, her plan not at all lost on him. She’d never seen him so angry, hell, she’d never seen anyone so angry before. “I told you, Amy, we belong together. You’ll come to realize that sooner or later. I know you want me just as much as I want you. I need you, Amy.”
Amy took a step back shocked at the heat in his words. He wasn’t playing or acting. Ry meant every single one of his words. Worse yet, she believed him when he told her he needed her. “Ry, it just won’t work out between us. I’m—”
Ry grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him, crushing her up against his chest. “You don’t know that for sure. You’re just scared that I’m right.”
“Let me go,” she whispered, her entire body shaking in reaction to his demanding hold. Amy noticed that they had drawn in the attention of everyone around them. She’d been so intent on Ry that she never noticed how quiet the crowd around them became.
“Partner, maybe you should do as the lady asks. I think you’ve drawn enough attention to yourself for one night.”
Amy jumped when Hank started talking and put his hand on Ry’s shoulder to get his attention. “Hank, I think I should go home now. Can you give me a ride? I left my car at home.”
“Sure thing, Doc. Go get your jacket from the coat check and I’ll meet you at the door.”
“Stay out of this, Hank! Amy and I aren’t finished talking here.”
Amy watched as Hank got physically between them and whispered something in Ry’s ear. Ry let her go with a look that told her they would be talking about this in the morning. That he wasn’t letting her get away from him that easily.
Still shaken from her encounter, she made her way towards the coat check.
“Excuse me, Miss. Are you alright?”
“What? Oh, yes. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? He looked really pissed with you.”
Amy smiled, and looked up at the man speaking to her. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she recognized him from the police sketch. Pasting a smile on her lips, she laughed nervously. “He just isn’t taking the break up well.”
“Neither would I if I’d just lost a dish like you.”
“That’s very sweet of you, but I really have to go now. My brother isn’t a patient man when his party time is interrupted.”
“Will you be here on Friday?”
Amy panicked as her mind went blank. This was it. The man they were trying to catch was falling right into their lap. Say something, her mind screamed at her. “I’ll come by if you promise to be here.” Her words were strained and shaky, but she hoped he would interpret it as nervousness and not a trap.
“Will he be here too?”
Amy looked over at Ry who was glaring at them. “I don’t plan on bringing him along. But he’s his own man. I can’t stop him short of a restraining order.”
“Then I’ll see you on Friday.”
Amy smiled. “See you on Friday.” She got her coat and ran to the door where Hank was already waiting for her.
“Ready to go, Doc?”
“Yup. Ready.”
Hank held the door open for her. “Doc?”
“Sorry, Hank. Could we stop for coffee on the way? I think I was just approached by the man we’re looking for and I’d rather not go straight home right now.”
“You….. Doc, are you telling me that the serial killer approached you?”
Amy wanted to laugh at the look on his face. “He wanted to make sure I was okay, and he asked me to meet him on Friday.”
“Ry is not going to like this! Ry is so not going to like this one bit.”
That makes two of us
, she thought not able to stop herself from shivering.
Chapter 3
“Isn’t it romantic, la de da de da de da…. Hum hum hum.”
“Ry, I love the doc to death, but if that woman doesn’t stop singing I swear I’ll shoot her myself.”
Ry laughed at the exasperated tone in Hank’s voice. “Take a deep breath and relax. She isn’t that bad.” Ry actually found it soothing to listen to. As long as she sang, even when she hit the wrong key. Which was often, he thought laughing, it meant she was safe.
“Not that bad? The woman hasn’t hit the right key yet and she doesn�
��t even know most of the words. Man you must have it real bad.”
“Stop being such a stick in the mud. Amy’s life is in danger because you decided to back her in this little scheme. Now you have the gall to complain about her singing.” Ry started laughing, he’d heard Amy sing before when she thought no one was around and she’d never sounded this bad. The odds were very good she was trying to annoy Hank for some unknown reason and that cheered him. “Ever think that she’s singing like that because she knows it drives you crazy?”
“She wouldn’t dare! Would she?”
“Or that she’s terrified and this helps her to relax? Hank, buddy, you may be a really good cop but you suck when it comes to reading living people.”
“Damn you both.”
Ry laughed and looked out at Amy Allens. Dr. Amanda Allens, the madman’s scientist. No be nice. Psychoanalyst.
“Ry, I’ve known Amy for years, and I’ve asked her this question a million times. She never does answer it though. Why do you think a woman like her would specialize in putting herself into the mindset of madmen, rapists and murderers?”
Ry thought long and hard before agreeing to be her back up tonight. That question had been number two on his list. Number one had been whether or not he could stay objective, keep his feelings for her where they belonged until the case ended. “She’s good at it; Amy has helped bring down more bad guys, for lack of a better term, than any other single person. She has more collars under her belt than me, you and the Captain combined.”
Ry realized he was doomed. He no longer had a crush on the woman in question. He was in love with her. Her intelligence combined with those long legs accentuated by the short skirts she always wore in those bright colors so you couldn’t miss them. What he wouldn’t give to have her wrap those legs around him while he had her crying out in passion.
The timber of her singing changed and snapped him out of his daydream. “Everything alright, Amy?”
“Still no sign of him, Ry. Maybe I’m doing something wrong?”
Larry smiled when she called him Ry. Out of the blue she’d reverted to using her pet name for him. It was a truce of sorts, one she gave when he proved he and Melissa were through.
Psychotic SKIU Serial Page 3