didn’t seem to be anything. His expression was completely unreadable.
“I didn’t think it was real. I’ve been having vivid nightmares over the past year. My therapist told me things could get worse before I start healing and I…I just assumed this was a waking nightmare or some kind of manifestation. It’s not like the figure tried to attack me. He just grinned and stared at me. It was disturbing, but…” She pressed a hand to her stomach as reality assaulted her. This guy had been following her.
Watching her. And there was no way for her to find out how long it had been going on.
“I’ll get someone to your place to dust for prints too. What did the knife look like?”
This is where she worried he really would think she was crazy. “You know what… happened to me, right?” At his nod, she found her voice again. Saying the words aloud made her want to vomit, but she pushed herself. “I was forced to watch half my team being murdered. The curved knife he had looked exactly like the one they used to…” She let her voice trail off. Braden had seen the news. There were some things she simply couldn’t bring herself to say. Seeing her friends and teammates chopped up, beheaded and set on fire wasn’t something she was sure she’d ever get over no matter what her therapist said. Other than her boss and superiors at the NSA, her therapist was the only person who knew what that knife looked like. She’d described it in excruciating detail and somehow the exercise had been therapeutic. “Since I thought it wasn’t real, I didn’t think about it. I just assumed it was the manifestation of my memories. Now that I know it’s not my imagination, it’s too much of a coincidence, right?” She already knew the answer, but asked anyway.
“This is no coincidence. Do you have any idea who this could be? Any ex-boyfriends?”
She laughed at the thought. For the past year she’d been consumed with nothing but occupational therapy and regular therapy before returning to work. “No boyfriends, no enemies…well, that I know of. If this is the same person who’s been killing people in Hudson Bay, I’m not the only connection.”
“Damn it, I know,” he muttered.
As he paced next to her, she racked her brain for names, but the ones she came up with weren’t feasible. He had to have some enemies if he was the link between the victims. “If you had to think of one person who hates you, what’s the first name that pops into your mind? Don’t think, just answer.”
He stopped midpace and faced her. “I’ve put a few people in jail over the past year, Lilly. I’m sure quite a few people have a bone to pick with me.”
“No thinking. What name popped into your head first?”
“Greg Murphy.”
Just hearing the name made her cringe. “Ugh.”
“You remember him?”
She suppressed a shudder. Greg had been friends with Braden’s younger brother. Yeah, she remembered him. “Senior year he used to harass me after homeroom. He was always telling me I’d be better off with a ‘real man’ and he used to leave the weirdest letters in my locker telling me what a tease I was. He even asked me to prom despite the fact that I was dating you.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Braden asked through gritted teeth.
“Because I think that’s what he wanted. I don’t think he was ever actually interested in me. I think he wanted a reaction from you. More importantly, why is he the first name you thought of?”
“I’ve arrested him a few times for roughing up his wife, but she always drops the charges. Last time, things got heated and he took a swing at me. He also made some nasty threats. I was able to lock him up for a little while that time.”
“When was this?”
“Over a year ago. Since he’s gotten out, things have been quiet.”
“What about his wife?”
He shrugged, but she didn’t miss the pained expression in his eyes. “Saw her about six months ago at the grocery store sporting
“I didn’t think it was real. I’ve been having vivid nightmares over the past year. My therapist told me things could get worse before I start healing and I…I just assumed this was a waking nightmare or some kind of manifestation. It’s not like the figure tried to attack me. He just grinned and stared at me. It was disturbing, but…” She pressed a hand to her stomach as reality assaulted her. This guy had been following her.
Watching her. And there was no way for her to find out how long it had been going on.
“I’ll get someone to your place to dust for prints too. What did the knife look like?”
This is where she worried he really would think she was crazy. “You know what… happened to me, right?” At his nod, she found her voice again. Saying the words aloud made her want to vomit, but she pushed herself. “I was forced to watch half my team being murdered. The curved knife he had looked exactly like the one they used to…” She let her voice trail off. Braden had seen the news. There were some things she simply couldn’t bring herself to say. Seeing her friends and teammates chopped up, beheaded and set on fire wasn’t something she was sure she’d ever get over no matter what her therapist said. Other than her boss and superiors at the NSA, her therapist was the only person who knew what that knife looked like. She’d described it in excruciating detail and somehow the exercise had been therapeutic. “Since I thought it wasn’t real, I didn’t think about it. I just assumed it was the manifestation of my memories. Now that I know it’s not my imagination, it’s too much of a coincidence, right?” She already knew the answer, but asked anyway.
“This is no coincidence. Do you have any idea who this could be? Any ex-boyfriends?”
She laughed at the thought. For the past year she’d been consumed with nothing but occupational therapy and regular therapy before returning to work. “No boyfriends, no enemies…well, that I know of. If this is the same person who’s been killing people in Hudson Bay, I’m not the only connection.”
“Damn it, I know,” he muttered.
As he paced next to her, she racked her brain for names, but the ones she came up with weren’t feasible. He had to have some enemies if he was the link between the victims. “If you had to think of one person who hates you, what’s the first name that pops into your mind? Don’t think, just answer.”
He stopped midpace and faced her. “I’ve put a few people in jail over the past year, Lilly. I’m sure quite a few people have a bone to pick with me.”
“No thinking. What name popped into your head first?”
“Greg Murphy.”
Just hearing the name made her cringe. “Ugh.”
“You remember him?”
She suppressed a shudder. Greg had been friends with Braden’s younger brother. Yeah, she remembered him. “Senior year he used to harass me after homeroom. He was always telling me I’d be better off with a ‘real man’ and he used to leave the weirdest letters in my locker telling me what a tease I was. He even asked me to prom despite the fact that I was dating you.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Braden asked through gritted teeth.
“Because I think that’s what he wanted. I don’t think he was ever actually interested in me. I think he wanted a reaction from you. More importantly, why is he the first name you thought of?”
“I’ve arrested him a few times for roughing up his wife, but she always drops the charges. Last time, things got heated and he took a swing at me. He also made some nasty threats. I was able to lock him up for a little while that time.”
“When was this?”
“Over a year ago. Since he’s gotten out, things have been quiet.”
“What about his wife?”
He shrugged, but she didn’t miss the pained expression in his eyes. “Saw her about six months ago at the grocery store sporting
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