Her Last Day (Jessie Cole #1)(43)

FBI Offers Reward for Missing Girl

Missing Northern California Woman Found

The Heartless Killer Strikes Again? Erin Hayes Missing He clicked on the link having to do with the Heartless Killer, which took him to online news reported by the Sacramento Tribune. On the right-hand side was a list of recent news stories. The name Arlo Gatley caught his eye. He clicked on that particular link and then felt a tingling in his limbs as he read every word.

Zee was right. Her father had hired a private investigator in Sacramento named Jessie Cole.

His stomach churned as he did a little research on the private investigator. Apparently she had a decent track record when it came to locating people.

He found a bunch of images of Jessie Cole, including one from the time she’d appeared on Cold Case TV. Leaning back in his chair, he wrung his hands together as he thought about what he should do with her.

Doing nothing was out of the question. It took him less than a minute to make up his mind. Swallowing hard, he stared into her eyes.

Jessie Cole was as good as dead.



“Hey there,” Ben said when he walked into his house and found Melony sitting on the bottom step waiting for him. Her blonde hair was pinned at the top of her head, accentuating her long, pale neck. The top buttons of her silk blouse revealed enough cleavage to catch his attention. When he shut the door and stepped closer, he got a whiff of perfume. He realized then that the house was abnormally quiet.

Ben looked around. “Where are the kids?”

“Across the street. They were invited for a sleepover.” She stood, brushed her fingers across his neck and then slowly downward over his collarbone, where she began unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt.

It wasn’t often they were able to get time alone, just the two of them.

He brushed his lips across hers.

That was all it took.

They were all fumbling hands after that, leaving a trail of clothes from the front entry to their bed upstairs. Melony covered his chest with feathered kisses, giving as much attention to his left side as his right, making sure he never felt insecure about his disfigurement. For their entire married life, she’d worried as much about his emotional scars as his physical ones. It didn’t matter how many times he told her he was fine with the way he looked, wasn’t bothered by people who ogled; she couldn’t stop herself. It was who she was. And who could fault the one they loved for caring too much?

He grew hard beneath her caresses, flipped her over so the length of her was beneath him, her leg moving between his, brushing against him, driving him crazy. His breathing grew ragged; his eyes closed as he nibbled on her ear, every part of her ready and wanting as they lost themselves in the moment.

A whimper, as if from a distant dream, brought him back to the moment. He opened his eyes, confused by what he was seeing. Golden-brown hair framed a creamy oval face and exotic brown eyes. She pulled him closer.

He didn’t understand. Who was she?

He wanted to stop, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Instead he drove deeper into her. The more she squirmed beneath him, the faster his pulse raced. Her hips grinded against him, her tongue hot inside his mouth.

“You’re hurting me,” she said.

She tasted like a sweet honeycomb. Her hair was smooth and silky within his grasp, his movements bordering on frantic. He was on the edge of release when she screamed out for him to stop, her fingernails digging into his shoulders.

He opened his eyes and saw Melony, her blonde hair clutched tightly within his grasp, her eyes fearful and wet with tears.

“I’m sorry.” He released his hold on her hair and backed off, unsure of what had just happened. It was as if someone else had taken over his body and soul. Confused, he wanted to give her an explanation, but he had none. He’d completely lost control and didn’t know why or how that could have happened.

Sobbing, she slid off the bed and ran to the bathroom. The door clicked shut behind her.

He climbed off the bed and looked around, everything hazy, especially his thoughts. He’d hurt his wife, the woman he loved more than anything. Disgusted with himself, he paced the room. Was he losing his mind?

“I’m so sorry,” he said again through the door when she still hadn’t exited moments later.

The door came open. Melony tightened the sash around her robe as she headed past him, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes met his. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Ben, but you need to get help.”

He shoved his fingers through his hair. She was right. The gruesome bloody images he’d been seeing, and now this. It wasn’t normal. He needed to do something right away. He went to her and kneeled on the floor in front of her, his eyes watering. “I will. I promise.”





TWENTY-THREE

It was late that same night when Jessie heard a knock at the door. She crept down the stairs and peeked through the peephole. It was Colin. She opened the door. He looked like hell. “What’s going on?”

“Did I wake you?”

“No.” She’d been reading through old files on her sister’s case. “Come inside.” She led the way up the stairs and then followed him around the house as he checked the locks on windows and doors. “What are you doing? What’s going on?”

“It’s happening again,” he said. “The Heartless Killer has struck again.”