years of trying, they’d brought a beautiful baby girl into the world. Unfortunately, Melissa had only been part of Chloe’s life for six months before she was taken away from both of them.
Thinking about Chloe brought him back to Megan. As he sat down at his desk, Paul replayed the conversation he’d had with his daughter’s nanny. He’d had women come on to him over the years—more so since becoming a widower—but none of them had sparked anything in him. This morning was different. There had been a spark, and he wouldn’t lie to himself. It scared him on a deep and primal level.
After Megan sauntered out of the kitchen, it had taken a good ten minutes for his erection to go down. No woman had done that to him with such ease since Melissa. She used to be able to look at him, and he’d be up for whatever she had in mind.
“You’re here early.”
Paul looked up as his partner slid into the desk across from him. “I wanted to go over the new files.”
Janey glanced down at his desk and raised one eyebrow. “Were you expecting those files to magically appear in front of you?”
He shrugged and reached for the stack of folders on the corner of his desk. “Very funny, Davis.”
Leaning back, she gave him a once-over. “Something happen at your brother’s wedding I should know about?”
“It was a wedding.” He tried to concentrate on the report in front of him.
“That doesn’t mean nothing happened.”
Paul continued to look down at the files as if they held all the secrets in the universe.
When he didn’t elaborate, Janey sighed. “You’re sure?”
“I am.” He looked up and gave her the best smile he could muster. “So catch me up. What’s the latest on the newest victim?”
Janey spent the next hour bringing Paul up to speed on the case. He’d only been gone for four days, but there had been a lot of new developments within that time. This newest victim was twenty-eight-year-old Casey McMurphy. She was a flight attendant, newly married, and had no children.
The similarities between this victim and the first two were few. Apart from each of the women being around the same age, and all being home alone at the time of the murders, nothing else matched up. They’d been searching for a connection between the first two victims, but had come up short thus far. Paul was hoping they would be able to find something to tie the three women together. Once they knew how the killer was selecting the victims, they would have a better chance at catching him or her.
In his absence, Janey and one of the other detectives had interviewed Mr. McMurphy, but Paul wanted to see the crime scene for himself. Throughout the drive, Janey kept glancing over at him.
“What’s on your mind, Davis?”
“I was going to ask you the same question, Daniels.”
He pulled into the McMurphys’ drive and turned off the engine. Paul opened his door and exited the vehicle without a word to his partner.
Janey sighed and unfastened her seat belt. “Fine. I get it. You don’t want to talk about it.”
They strolled up to the house in silence, and Paul took the time to observe his surroundings. It was a nice neighborhood. He heard dogs barking from the house next door and there was a sprinkler going a few houses down. Nothing stood out to him as being out of the ordinary.
Paul rang the doorbell, and after several minutes, a young woman answered. She looked to be around Megan’s age, but she was shorter. The woman was even wearing a short skirt, showing off her trim, athletic legs.
He quickly put a stop to the direction his mind was heading. He was working, and he needed to concentrate. Whatever was going on, or not going on, with Megan and himself wasn’t what he needed to be focusing on at the moment.
“Hello?”
They flashed their badges. “Is Mr. McMurphy home?”
The woman froze for a moment, and then seemed to come out of it, stepping back to allow them inside. “H-he’s in the kitchen.
Thinking about Chloe brought him back to Megan. As he sat down at his desk, Paul replayed the conversation he’d had with his daughter’s nanny. He’d had women come on to him over the years—more so since becoming a widower—but none of them had sparked anything in him. This morning was different. There had been a spark, and he wouldn’t lie to himself. It scared him on a deep and primal level.
After Megan sauntered out of the kitchen, it had taken a good ten minutes for his erection to go down. No woman had done that to him with such ease since Melissa. She used to be able to look at him, and he’d be up for whatever she had in mind.
“You’re here early.”
Paul looked up as his partner slid into the desk across from him. “I wanted to go over the new files.”
Janey glanced down at his desk and raised one eyebrow. “Were you expecting those files to magically appear in front of you?”
He shrugged and reached for the stack of folders on the corner of his desk. “Very funny, Davis.”
Leaning back, she gave him a once-over. “Something happen at your brother’s wedding I should know about?”
“It was a wedding.” He tried to concentrate on the report in front of him.
“That doesn’t mean nothing happened.”
Paul continued to look down at the files as if they held all the secrets in the universe.
When he didn’t elaborate, Janey sighed. “You’re sure?”
“I am.” He looked up and gave her the best smile he could muster. “So catch me up. What’s the latest on the newest victim?”
Janey spent the next hour bringing Paul up to speed on the case. He’d only been gone for four days, but there had been a lot of new developments within that time. This newest victim was twenty-eight-year-old Casey McMurphy. She was a flight attendant, newly married, and had no children.
The similarities between this victim and the first two were few. Apart from each of the women being around the same age, and all being home alone at the time of the murders, nothing else matched up. They’d been searching for a connection between the first two victims, but had come up short thus far. Paul was hoping they would be able to find something to tie the three women together. Once they knew how the killer was selecting the victims, they would have a better chance at catching him or her.
In his absence, Janey and one of the other detectives had interviewed Mr. McMurphy, but Paul wanted to see the crime scene for himself. Throughout the drive, Janey kept glancing over at him.
“What’s on your mind, Davis?”
“I was going to ask you the same question, Daniels.”
He pulled into the McMurphys’ drive and turned off the engine. Paul opened his door and exited the vehicle without a word to his partner.
Janey sighed and unfastened her seat belt. “Fine. I get it. You don’t want to talk about it.”
They strolled up to the house in silence, and Paul took the time to observe his surroundings. It was a nice neighborhood. He heard dogs barking from the house next door and there was a sprinkler going a few houses down. Nothing stood out to him as being out of the ordinary.
Paul rang the doorbell, and after several minutes, a young woman answered. She looked to be around Megan’s age, but she was shorter. The woman was even wearing a short skirt, showing off her trim, athletic legs.
He quickly put a stop to the direction his mind was heading. He was working, and he needed to concentrate. Whatever was going on, or not going on, with Megan and himself wasn’t what he needed to be focusing on at the moment.
“Hello?”
They flashed their badges. “Is Mr. McMurphy home?”
The woman froze for a moment, and then seemed to come out of it, stepping back to allow them inside. “H-he’s in the kitchen.
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