was tempted to pull her against him and hold her until she put her public face back on. “Are you all right, Miss Fallon?”
She nodded unsteadily. “Yes. But Bailey’s still missing.”
He knew what she was asking. “I can’t help you find her.”
Her eyes flashed. “Why not?”
“Because the GBI doesn’t just take cases from the locals. We have to be invited.”
Her jaw tightened and her eyes went cold. “I see. Well, then, can you tell me how to get to Peachtree and Pine?”
Daniel blinked at her. “Excuse me?”
“I said Peachtree and Pine.” She enunciated it. “Sheriff Loomis, the Dutton sheriff, said that’s where I should look for her.”
Damn you, Frank,
Daniel thought.
That was insensitive and irresponsible
. “I’d be glad to give you directions, but you might have more luck after dark, and that I wouldn’t recommend. You’re from out of town and don’t know the safe areas.”
She lifted her chin. “I don’t seem to have much choice. Sheriff Loomis won’t help me and you can’t.”
He didn’t think so, but chose to keep his opinions to himself. He looked down at his shoe, then back up at her. “If you can wait until seven, I’ll take you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because I have a six o’clock meeting that’s not done till seven.”
She shook her head. “Don’t play games with me, Vartanian. Why?”
He decided to tell her some small sliver of the truth. “Because that victim was found just like your sister, and on the same day my Jane Doe died, your stepsister disappeared. Whether I have a copycat killer or not, this is too much of a coincidence for me to ignore. And . . . you’re here, Miss Fallon. Has it occurred to you that you might be a target of a copycat killer, too?”
Her face paled. “No.”
“I don’t mean to scare you, but I’d rather see you scared than lying in there.”
She nodded shakily and he could see he’d made his point. “I appreciate it,” she murmured. “So where should I meet you at seven?”
“How about back here? Don’t wear that suit, okay? It’s too nice.”
“Okay.”
The need to put his arm around her swamped him again, but he shoved it away. “Come on, I’ll walk you up to the front.”
Monday, January 29, 10:45 a.m.
I’m still alive.
She struggled to wake up and squinted, unable to open her eyes fully. But it didn’t matter, it was so dark that she couldn’t have seen anything anyway. It was daytime, but she knew that only because she could hear the birds.
She tried to move and groaned when pain streaked everywhere. She hurt so bad.
And she didn’t even know why. Well, technically she knew part of it, maybe even all of it, but she didn’t let herself acknowledge that she held the information in her brain. In her weaker moments she might tell him and then he’d kill her.
She didn’t want to die.
I want to go home. I want my baby
. She let herself think of Hope and winced as the tear burned on its way down her cheek.
Please, God, take care of my baby
. She prayed someone knew she was gone, that someone had come for Hope.
That someone is looking for me.
That she’d be important to someone.
Anyone.
Please.
Footsteps approached and she drew a shallow breath. He was coming.
God help me, he’s coming. Don’t let me be afraid
. And she forced herself to go blank, to clear her mind of everything.
Everything.
The door swung open and she winced at the dim light from the hall.
“Well, now,” he drawled. “Are you ready to tell me where it is?”
She gritted her teeth and prepared for the blow. Still she cried out when the end of his boot kicked her hip. She looked up into black eyes that she’d once trusted.
“Bailey, darlin’. You can’t win here. Tell me where the key is. Then I’ll let you go.”
Dutton, Monday, January 29, 11:15 a.m.
It was still there, Alex thought as she stared up at Bailey’s house from the street.
So go in. Check it out. Don’t be such a coward.
But still she
She nodded unsteadily. “Yes. But Bailey’s still missing.”
He knew what she was asking. “I can’t help you find her.”
Her eyes flashed. “Why not?”
“Because the GBI doesn’t just take cases from the locals. We have to be invited.”
Her jaw tightened and her eyes went cold. “I see. Well, then, can you tell me how to get to Peachtree and Pine?”
Daniel blinked at her. “Excuse me?”
“I said Peachtree and Pine.” She enunciated it. “Sheriff Loomis, the Dutton sheriff, said that’s where I should look for her.”
Damn you, Frank,
Daniel thought.
That was insensitive and irresponsible
. “I’d be glad to give you directions, but you might have more luck after dark, and that I wouldn’t recommend. You’re from out of town and don’t know the safe areas.”
She lifted her chin. “I don’t seem to have much choice. Sheriff Loomis won’t help me and you can’t.”
He didn’t think so, but chose to keep his opinions to himself. He looked down at his shoe, then back up at her. “If you can wait until seven, I’ll take you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because I have a six o’clock meeting that’s not done till seven.”
She shook her head. “Don’t play games with me, Vartanian. Why?”
He decided to tell her some small sliver of the truth. “Because that victim was found just like your sister, and on the same day my Jane Doe died, your stepsister disappeared. Whether I have a copycat killer or not, this is too much of a coincidence for me to ignore. And . . . you’re here, Miss Fallon. Has it occurred to you that you might be a target of a copycat killer, too?”
Her face paled. “No.”
“I don’t mean to scare you, but I’d rather see you scared than lying in there.”
She nodded shakily and he could see he’d made his point. “I appreciate it,” she murmured. “So where should I meet you at seven?”
“How about back here? Don’t wear that suit, okay? It’s too nice.”
“Okay.”
The need to put his arm around her swamped him again, but he shoved it away. “Come on, I’ll walk you up to the front.”
Monday, January 29, 10:45 a.m.
I’m still alive.
She struggled to wake up and squinted, unable to open her eyes fully. But it didn’t matter, it was so dark that she couldn’t have seen anything anyway. It was daytime, but she knew that only because she could hear the birds.
She tried to move and groaned when pain streaked everywhere. She hurt so bad.
And she didn’t even know why. Well, technically she knew part of it, maybe even all of it, but she didn’t let herself acknowledge that she held the information in her brain. In her weaker moments she might tell him and then he’d kill her.
She didn’t want to die.
I want to go home. I want my baby
. She let herself think of Hope and winced as the tear burned on its way down her cheek.
Please, God, take care of my baby
. She prayed someone knew she was gone, that someone had come for Hope.
That someone is looking for me.
That she’d be important to someone.
Anyone.
Please.
Footsteps approached and she drew a shallow breath. He was coming.
God help me, he’s coming. Don’t let me be afraid
. And she forced herself to go blank, to clear her mind of everything.
Everything.
The door swung open and she winced at the dim light from the hall.
“Well, now,” he drawled. “Are you ready to tell me where it is?”
She gritted her teeth and prepared for the blow. Still she cried out when the end of his boot kicked her hip. She looked up into black eyes that she’d once trusted.
“Bailey, darlin’. You can’t win here. Tell me where the key is. Then I’ll let you go.”
Dutton, Monday, January 29, 11:15 a.m.
It was still there, Alex thought as she stared up at Bailey’s house from the street.
So go in. Check it out. Don’t be such a coward.
But still she
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