Her Last Day (Jessie Cole #1)(11)
Garrett was crying now, his shoulders shaking in despair.
“I’m sorry,” Erin whispered.
“I’m only sorry it took me so long.”
Erin thought about how many people had perished down here, and for the first time since she’d awoken in this dreadful place, she wondered if she would die here, too.
SIX
While Olivia sat at the kitchen table doing homework, Colin made some calls and worked on what he needed to go over with his team in the morning. Frustrations in the department were at an all-time high. Now that all leads had been exhausted, he realized it might be time to have one of the retired detectives look over the case files to see if they could find anything that might have been missed.
He also considered getting the media involved, have them do a story on the case and ask for help from the community to see if they could spark someone’s memory. Someone out there knew something. Either he wasn’t willing to come forward, or he had no idea about the importance of what he’d seen.
Too many guys in the department had worked long hours, missing out on family events—and for what?
The Heartless Killer had been hanging around for too long.
He needed to be stopped.
And yet it wasn’t going to be easy to find a killer whose MO kept changing. The Heartless Killer was no Jack the Ripper. He didn’t go after only prostitutes or strangle every victim. Many of his crimes appeared to be premeditated and well planned, which would slate him as an organized killer. And yet he was probably also charming and possibly attractive, since he was able to approach his prey and then lure them away. Only two of the victims had been left at the scenes of the crime. The majority of them were taken somewhere to be tortured and abused for months before he disposed of their bodies. More frustrating, as in most serial-killer cases, the probability that there were victims they had yet to discover was high.
Although the Heartless Killer’s MO was not well defined, his signature was. Torture and mutilation had occurred with every victim connected to him thus far. As far as Colin could tell, the Heartless Killer’s fantasies had developed over the years. The first two bodies connected to the killer had been dumped, as if the killer was in a hurry or afraid he might be seen. But his confidence had grown, and he’d begun to stage his victims, propping the corpse against a tree or a wagon wheel in the middle of a pumpkin patch. He often removed the heart and placed it on or near the body. This staging was most likely done to shock authorities and show them he was all-powerful and in control.
“I’m not stupid, you know,” Olivia said from the kitchen, pulling him from his thoughts.
Baffled, Colin caught her gaze through the doorway. “I never said you were.”
“Then why don’t you tell me what’s going on with Jessie? She usually texts if she can’t pick me up from school. And she always calls when she’s going to be late. But it’s almost nine, and she never called.”
“Speaking of which, why didn’t you answer my calls earlier?”
“I have a new number.” She picked up her phone and pushed some buttons. “There. I sent you a text. Now you have my new number.” She was still giving him the same sort of look Piper often gave him.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Where’s Jessie?”
Colin scratched the side of his neck.
“And why were you the one who picked me up today?”
“Why—is that a problem?”
She shrugged. “I don’t mind. It’s just that Andriana or Bella’s mom are usually the people who pick me up when Jessie can’t.” She sighed. “I thought you were done with Jessie dragging her feet when it came to the two of you.”
“Is that what Jessie told you?”
“No, that’s what Andriana said when I asked why I hadn’t seen you lately.”
That sounded like Andriana. Colin could tell by the tone of her voice that Olivia was upset with him. “I never should have disappeared from your life without talking to you first. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t care about that.”
He knew it wasn’t true. He could see the hurt in her eyes. But he let it go for now.
“So where is she?” Olivia asked again.
He had hoped there might be an off chance that Jessie would be released before nightfall. But it wasn’t looking good. Time to come clean. “Jessie was working a case today when the man she was following fired a shot at her, forcing her to shoot back.”
Olivia jumped to her feet. “Was Jessie hit?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay.” She sank slowly back into her seat. “Is the man dead?”
“He’s in critical condition.”
“That’s not good—is it?”
“No. It’s not good.”
“How much trouble is she in? Is she in jail?”
“Yes, she’s in jail. Andriana was there when I left. The two of them will get it all straightened out, and Jessie will be home in no time.”
He didn’t like the worry he saw scrawled across Olivia’s young face. She was a good kid and had a big heart. Before he could say anything more to ease her mind, his cell buzzed. He picked up the call, listened for a minute, said thanks, and disconnected.