Fear For Me (For Me #2)(57)

Shit.

Agent McKenzie’s hands had clenched into fists.

Cadence walked toward the first picture. “Walker’s partner was smart. He knew if he killed in different counties, it would be harder for the police to make connections between the crimes, especially when people didn’t even realize that crimes were happening.”

There were so many photographs. Nineteen of them.

Matt maneuvered close to Anthony. “Is this for real? You think Cadence is right on this?”

“Cadence doesn’t bullshit.”

Lauren flinched beneath his hand.

“How the hell do you know those are his victims?” Paul was back on his feet. The guy seemed to have real trouble staying in his chair. “Look, ma’am, we’re not some dumbass cops down here, okay? If we had another serial working here all this time—”

“I told you, the killer was smart. He crossed county lines, so there was no reason for the authorities to connect the dots on these cases.” Her fingers were touching the first picture. “Especially since he kept varying the age of his victim.”

She was staring at the first photo. “Denise Reed, age seventeen.”

Denise stared back at them. A young girl with dark hair and wide eyes.

Cadence touched the second picture. “Sally Samwell, age eighteen.” Another girl with a big smile and a dark tumble of hair.

“Rachel Penelope, age nineteen.” Her fingers skimmed over the girl’s dark hair.

“Georgia Trace, age twenty.”

The next photo. “Jamie Snowden, age twenty-one…”

“He’s going up a year, every time…” Kyle said, his voice too loud in the quiet room as the cops all made the same connection. “The girls look the same, same hair—”

“And they have the same blue eyes,” Cadence said as she glanced around the room. “This killer, I believe—in his mind—was killing the same girl again and again.”

Her hand slid over the other photos until she came to a photo that had been circled in red. “I believe he was killing Jennifer Chandler, over and over. The age went up, as Jennifer would have aged if she’d still been alive. That kill—it was necessary to him. He’s been doing it every single year since Jenny died.”

Fuck.

It was Lauren’s turn to rise to her feet. “My sister…”

All eyes turned to her.

“So many women…” Pain whispered through her voice.

“Since I believe Jenny was the first victim, I think she had a personal connection to the killer. They were friends, maybe they dated, maybe she rebuffed him. She knew him.” Sympathy flashed across Cadence’s face, but the determination in her gaze didn’t falter. “That means you might know him, too. If we can just find him, we can also find Walker.”

“We can take them both out,” Kyle added.

“That means we need to see every witness from the original Bayou Butcher case, we need to go over every file…” Cadence lifted her chin. Her delicate jaw hardened. “We will be looking for a male, in his midthirties, highly intelligent, attractive—”

“He’s good-looking?” one of the uniforms muttered, a little too loudly. “How do you know that?”

“Because all signs are that his prey willingly came to him. If there were indications of a struggle, we would have noticed them at the scenes. Even when Jenny Chandler’s car was found”—Cadence’s gaze darted to Lauren—“the appearance is that she willingly drove out to meet the perpetrator. An attractive man would have a much easier time luring his victims.”

Lauren backed away from her seat and moved to stand beside Anthony.

“Jon Walker is also attractive—he used the same luring technique with many of his victims. It’s a technique I believe he learned from his partner.”

Anthony slanted a fast glance at Lauren. Her body was stiff, and she looked so pale. “Are you okay?” he murmured.

“I don’t think I’ll be okay for a very long time,” she whispered. “All of those women. He took them all.”

“I’ll be adding to the second killer’s profile soon. When I do, I’ll give an update to all the officers working this case.” Cadence reached for files on the table near her. “These men are extremely dangerous. Now that they are back together again, they will keep killing. They won’t stop until we stop them.”

The meeting ended after that. The cops filed out, Cadence and Kyle huddled over their files, and Lauren—

Her fingers wrapped around Anthony’s arm. “I need to get out of here.”

He knew desperation when he heard it.

“Please, take me away from here.”

Anthony nodded and immediately steered her toward the door. They pushed through the bull pen, heading fast for the exit.

“DA Chandler!”

It was Kyle McKenzie. The guy was rushing after them, his gaze on Lauren.

Beside Anthony, Lauren stiffened.

Anthony’s jaw locked. “She’s had enough for today, got it? I’m taking her out of here so—”

“I know how you feel, Lauren.”

Lauren. Not DA Chandler.

The guy’s voice held way too much intensity.

Not just intensity, Anthony realized as he studied the agent with a critical eye. Pain.