“No, she wasn’t lying about that. I don’t know.” Heath shook his head and got out of the SUV.
He stepped to the back of the vehicle and searched around for cameras. There was one near the restaurant’s entrance, but it was focused on the doors, not the parking lot.
“If she was parked over here,” Heather pointed to the empty spot three spaces away. “It would have been easy for someone to grab her without anyone seeing. The shrubs hide a lot from the main road. Given the cover of night, it doesn’t surprise me that there aren’t any witnesses.”
They went inside the restaurant and waited to be seated. When the hostess led them to a table, Heath requested a spot by the front windows. They were able to see out into the parking lot.
“How busy was it here Tuesday night?” he asked the hostess as she set menus.
“It was slammed in here. We had all you can eat crawfish this past Tuesday. Crawfish always draw a crowd.” She smiled down at him and brushed a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Sarah will be your waitress this evening. She’ll be with you shortly.”
For the next hour, they ate and studied the completed files. They kept the photos tucked away in the folder, so that those walking by wouldn’t see the crime scenes. They decided to go by the dumpsite for the latest victim on their way to check into the hotel.
“Can I get you two anything else?” the waitress asked.
“Actually, Sarah, I have a couple questions.” Heath stopped her from walking off. “Were you working Tuesday night?”
“Oh yeah, everyone works on crawfish nights. It gets pretty busy here.”
“I was wondering if you’d remember a customer.” Heath carefully pulled out a picture of the from the folder without exposing the rest. “Do you remember her?” He showed her the picture of the latest victim.
“Sure, that’s Macy. She was here on Tuesday. I can’t believe she went missing. Have they found her yet?” Sarah asked, her concern was genuine.
“We’re just trying to find out what happened.” Heath remembered that her identity hadn’t been released yet. “Was she here with anyone?”
“Maybe someone bought her a few drinks?” Heather hinted.
“No, she’s usually alone when she comes in. She wouldn’t accept a drink if someone offered it. Macy doesn’t drink. It’s one of the reasons she comes here. Sure, people have a few drinks with their meal, but it’s not like they get down and party. There’s plenty of bars around here for that,” Sarah explained.
“Did you see anyone follow her out Tuesday?” Heather asked.
“Nope, as far as I know she left on her own,” Sarah told them.
“Thanks Sarah.” Heath placed a few bills in the check folder and handed it back to her, along with a nice tip.
“What if that’s the difference?” Heather asked as the waitress walked away. “The first two victims were grabbed after going to the bars. What if he couldn’t grab her at the bar so he was forced to grab her here?”
“That would mean it’s not random. He’s targeting these particular women.” Heath stuffed the reports back into his folder. “Maybe the killer has a list.”
“Then who’s next?” Heather asked, standing up and grabbing her folder off the table.
“We’ll get Gunner to go through everything he can about these women. Maybe he’ll see a connection,” he suggested as they left the restaurant.
“Once we get to the hotel, we can spread everything out and get to work. We need to catch this guy.” Her determination and anger could easily be felt.
With their stomachs full, they went to where Macy Micheals was found. Her body was found a few blocks from the nightclub where the first woman went missing. There was still crime scene tape up at the entrance of the alley. There was only one way into the alley. A dumpster sat on each side of the short alley, near a door to the adjoining business.
They ducked under the tape and entered the crime scene. Heath didn’t feel any lingering emotions. There wasn’t anything significant about this spot. He studied the scene in front of him, looking for anything that the locals may have overlooked. With a flashlight out, he searched around and behind the dumpster. Heather looked around the other one and down the alley. There were no cameras down the alley since the business entrance was on the other side. As they headed back to the vehicle, Heath kept an eye out for surrounding traffic cameras. The place was secluded. Streetlights didn’t light up the alley. The light on the main road was out. No wonder the killer was able to drop the body without anyone seeing a thing.
“Come on,” Heather groaned. “There’s nothing here. We’ll get more from the crime scene photos. We’ll get a fresh start in the morning and go by the other crime scenes.”
They went to the hotel and got two adjoining rooms. Once Heath showered, he joined Heather in her room since her room had the bigger table. They spread the crime scene photos out on the table and placed the matching reports next to them. Heather fixed a pot of coffee, and they sat down at the table. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Four
The next day was quiet in the candle shop except for the television playing with the volume down low. Ciara decided to fill the day dipping and carving candles. She stood behind the counter with vats of wax on her worktable. She’d hold the wick and dip the candle in red wax, leaving it there for a few seconds before lifting the candle back out. For the wax to cool quicker, she dipped the candle in a vat of water. Once it was cool and dry, she dipped it back into the red wax. After a couple of layers, she’d change to another color. The different colors came out when she carved the candle. Peeling a small section, only to twist and curl it into a design. It was therapeutic for her, and after the past few days, she needed something to relax her.
Yesterday, she went to the sheriff’s department to find out if the body they found was the woman she had the vision of. The sheriff said she wasn’t, but that only meant that they hadn’t found her yet. It won’t be long before someone finds that poor woman’s lifeless body. Ciara prayed she was wrong. With the FBI being in town, maybe they’d find out who was doing this.
Her thoughts drifted to the handsome federal agent. He only stood a couple of inches taller than her. His brown hair was shorter on the sides with a little length on top. Her heart skipped a beat when he turned toward her. She knew better than to shake his hand. A mere handshake didn’t normally bring on visions, unless the emotion behind it was strong enough. The vision that came from him nearly knocked her on her ass. She didn’t expect to be pulled into a scene of love making. When the two people came into focus, she realized it was her with him in bed. Not just any bed, in her bed. The scene flashed to another of her in a white dress, looking up into his eyes. The scene that followed was further in the future. They were sitting on a blanket on the edge of a lavender field with their twins running amok. The little boy held his sister’s hand and danced in circles. She jerked her hand out of his and made sure not to touch him while they were talking. She had no clue who Agent Carter was, but if her vision was right then he was her future husband. Her heart sped up at the thought of marrying the man she had only just met.
When she touched his hand, she didn’t see the killer being caught. Does that mean they won’t catch him? A picture of a dumpster flashed across the television screen. She hung the candle to dry and turned up the volume on the television.
“The sheriff’s department has released the name of the body found early Friday morning. Macy Micheals was last seen leaving Boudreaux’s Tuesday night around 9:30. They have no suspects at this time. We’re warning women to not be out alone at night,” the news anchor warned people as pictures of the missing women flashed across the screen.
“Damn it.” Ciara slapped her hand on the table when nothing was mentioned about the woman that went missing at the store. “Why would they take the word of a crazy woman?”
She picked up her carving knife and began slicing into the candle. No one believed her. No one was looking for
that poor woman. The sheriff couldn’t solve the murders. It looked like the feds might not either. Ciara felt helpless but needed to help them. She knew she could. They just had to believe her. If she knew what the killer looked like, it would help them. Tonight, she was going to go out. A stiff drink was exactly what she needed to calm her nerves. The killer could be on the prowl for another woman. The thought of being the next victim scared the crap out of her. If she went to the bar, maybe she could get a reading of the man. Which meant she would have to talk to guys.
“Ugh, this is not going to be fun.” Ciara pouted as she made the last cut into the candle. All she would need was a glimpse. Something that proved to her he was the man they were looking for. The rest would fall into place.
She twisted the cut edge and pressed it back to the candle, giving it a flowered look. Setting the carving knife back down, she picked the candle up and dipped it in the candle glaze. The candle needed to dry, so she hung it up with the others. Glancing at the clock, it was almost time to close. She placed the candles that she made that day on a drying rack to set overnight. Tomorrow, she’d package them up to go on display.
She grabbed her things and locked up for the night. On the way home, she tried to figure out which bar she wanted to go to. It wasn’t like the killer only struck at one place, that would be too easy. So far, he’d taken women from two different bars, a restaurant, and a grocery store. Does he see a woman he likes and then follows her?
When she got home, she gathered a few things together that she may need. First on her list was pepper spray her grandmother had given her for a birthday present. This would be a good time for a weapons permit. She tried to get a permit once, but since she was labeled as crazy, she was denied. Instead, she pulled a multi-tool knife out of the end table drawer and set it next to the pepper spray.
After throwing a chicken pot pie in the oven, she ran upstairs for a quick shower. Not wanting to get her hair wet, she pulled it up in a messy bun before stepping into the shower. Once she got out of the shower, she wrapped her red robe around herself and went downstairs to check on dinner. The timer still had 20 minutes left. That was plenty of time to dress and fix her face.
It wasn’t the kind of night she wanted to be caught in a skirt. She slipped on a pair of black jeans and a tight-fitting shirt. Pulling her black jacket from the closet, she grabbed a matching scarf and set them on the bed. The night brought on cooler breezes, and she wanted to be prepared. It also gave her room to put her stuff on the inside pocket instead of carrying a purse. She wasn’t going to impress anyone, so she didn’t put a lot of makeup on. A little eye makeup along with her favorite lip gloss was all she needed. The oven timer went off just before she could put on her lip gloss.
After dinner, she ran upstairs to check her makeup and apply her lip gloss. Satisfied with her look, she went into her bedroom and grabbed her scarf and jacket. She wrapped the black scarf around her neck as she came downstairs. The knife and pepper spray were on the table by the door. She shoved them into her jacket’s inside pocket. Taking her small wallet out of her purse, she slipped it into the inside pocket on the other side of her jacket.
On the way out, she locked the door behind her. Going out in this small town was not something she did. If she wanted to go out, she went to the city. It was a longer drive, but she wouldn’t drink too much, and if she did, then she got a hotel room. Tonight, wouldn’t be a getting drunk night. She’d get one drink and sip it.
She drove across town to The Rusty Spur. It was the bar where the second woman went missing. She pulled into a spot near the front door. Even though she wanted to find out who the killer was, she didn’t want to become a victim herself. Watching her surroundings, she got out of her SUV. The closer she got to the front windows, the better her view was of the customers inside. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed Agent Cooper sitting at a table next to the window. She stepped to the shadows to keep from being seen just as the female agent he was with came to the table with drinks. She sat down across from him. Was she staking her claim?
Suddenly, she felt foolish for thinking the vision she had would be real. She slinked back, away from the window. When she was no longer at risk of being seen, she turned around and hurried off to her vehicle. She jumped in and locked the doors.
“The feds can look after this place,” she told herself as she turned the key. If the killer is here, they’d catch him.
She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that the reason she didn’t go in was because she didn’t want to see Agent Cooper on a date with another woman. Shaking her head, she pulled out of the parking lot. How could she be jealous of a man that’s not even hers? Her vision gave her a false claim over the agent. A claim she normally wouldn’t have taken without being precipitated. She had never gotten a vision like that before. At least, not as far as marriage and children. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted it to be true. How could that be?
Almost missing her turn, she quickly turned to the right. Her mind was too focused on Agent Cooper. Shaking her head as if to clear him from her mind, she focused on the road. When she rounded the corner to AJ’s, she knew that people weren’t taking the news seriously. Everyone thinks it won’t happen to them. She shook her head as she pulled into the parking lot. It was twice as packed as The Rusty Spur. It’s doubtful that the killer would try anything with this many potential witnesses. With no other choice, she parked near the rear of the parking lot. She didn’t feel safe being so far from the door. When she got out of her vehicle, she locked the door and headed to the bar watching her surroundings as she went. The parking lot was darker than she liked, giving it an ominous feeling. When she walked in, she was greeted with loud music. Everyone was speaking louder than normal to be heard over the music. Looking around at the crowd, she made her way to the bar. The bartender made his way over, fixing drinks for people along the way.
“What can I get for you?” he asked when he finally made it to her.
“Let me get a tequila sunrise.” She pulled some cash from her jacket pocket as he fixed her drink.
Once she paid and got her drink in hand, she took a seat near the center of the room. She would be able to see more and hopefully pick up on a few things as people shuffled by. Small groups were scattered throughout the bar. Couples sat at the tables enjoying their togetherness. One couple in particular caught her attention. A beautiful woman in a red dress with her dirty blonde hair cascading down her back sat across from a man with messy black hair. She didn’t look too happy to be there. If they were on a date, it wasn’t going well. With a gruff, the woman got up and stormed out of the bar. Ciara thought it was rude for the man not to walk her out, especially with the recent kidnappings. She watched as the woman stepped out into the parking lot and disappeared past the vehicles.
Ciara twirled her straw around in her drink, making the ice clank against the sides of the glass. She took a long sip and watched as couples danced. There were a few women sitting at the table next to her. They were drinking and celebrating a job promotion. They seemed to be about the same age as the women that went missing. For a moment, Ciara thought about warning them to be careful until they started talking about the recent kidnappings. They already knew to stay together and not walk out alone.
The man whose date left him, eyed the group of women. He was on the prowl already. He slinked over to their table with a grin on his face. Ciara carefully watched the interaction from the corner of her eye. He introduced himself, but the women didn’t seem interested in anything he had to say. Shot down again. With a snarl, he left their table and peered around for another.
For the next hour, the man bounced around from table to table, trying to pick up women. He glanced her way once but never came over. For that, she was grateful. When her drink was empty, she went out onto the dance floor. As she weaved in and out of the crowd, she tried to get a reading from their energy. No one stood out from the others. With her legs on fire, she exited the dan
ce floor. No one would miss her.
On the way back to her table, she passed the man with bad luck. She lightly touched his shoulder as she squeezed behind his chair. To her surprise, she couldn’t get a reading on him. When she glanced back at him, he was looking into her eyes. He winked, giving her a creepy chill along her arms. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she checked the time. She had been here over an hour with no luck on sensing the killer. She thought he’d stick out like a sore thumb.
Before walking out the door, she made sure the creepy guy was still in his seat. His attention was on a brunette at another table. Ciara hurried out the door and into the dark parking lot.
“These places need more lights,” she said to herself as she hurried across the parking lot to her car.
Her foot tripped over a loose stone in the pavement. She stubbled, catching herself on the nearest car. Her vision blurred as a vision took over. The woman in the red dress was at that car. She was close enough to get in when a noise caught her attention. She took a step back to peer around the next vehicle.
“Hello?” the woman spoke, looking around. Shrugging it off and turned around to her car.
Before she could make it to the driver door, hands came down over her mouth. The woman tried to scream, but the hand muffled any sound coming out. Her prying hands weren’t enough to peel his hand off. She kicked out at her car, pushing them both back into the van parked next to her. It didn’t seem to faze the man behind her as he started to pull her around the other side of the van. She let go of the hand over her mouth and waved her hands in front of her. The trash can by the light pole slid across the parking lot hitting them both.
“Damn it,” the man hissed out.
Something sharp pinched into her neck and within seconds her body began to lose strength. He grabbed her wrists, twisting her around. He was wearing a black hoodie and she couldn’t make out his face. He opened the sliding van door and pushed her inside. She tried to grab at the door, but her hand didn’t make a connection. Her bracelet caught on the latch and fell off her wrist. The man pushed her legs inside and slammed the sliding door closed. She was plunged into darkness as she lost consciousness.
Seer Protector Page 3