The Dollmaker(The Forgotten Files #2)(65)
He lives close by.
The words whispered in his head. The killer knew this small town located twenty miles north of Richmond well. From this spot, Terrance Dillon lived 3.5 miles away. Kara had been found 4.6 miles from here. The small private college where all the girls had attended was 6.2 miles away.
Killers, like everyday people, were creatures of habit. They had their routines, too. They chose to dispose of their victims in familiar areas. Easy in, easy out, and no one was the wiser.
Sharp reached for a cigarette and lit it. He inhaled and thought about the thousands of homes in this area. This guy had held Diane for weeks, so he would have needed privacy.
Houses with basements and large lots came to mind, but Sharp knew if the killer were careful and kept his victim sedated, he might be able to keep her in close quarters. Keep your grass cut and say a nice word or two to your neighbors, and for the most part, people left you the hell alone.
As he stared at the glowing tip of his cigarette, he thought about Vargas’s comments about Tessa. Vargas hadn’t ruled her out as a person of interest, but no matter how compelling the argument, he could never imagine Tessa killing anyone. Ever.
He thought back to when he and Tessa had bumped into each other two years ago. He’d had one of his infrequent visits with Roger, who had said Tessa was back in Richmond working as a resident at the state hospital. Sharp had always been attracted to Tessa, but the decade difference in age and the awkward timing had kept him at a distance. Now the years didn’t matter as much, and the timing was about as good as it would ever get.
He’d found out she hung out with friends who lived on Monument Avenue and made a point to just happen by one day. It was during his third “happen by” that he’d spotted her with some friends playing croquet in the wide grassy median strip dividing the historic avenue.
Her long black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, and a sweat-stained tank top clung to her breasts. Shorts showed off long athletic legs and a great ass. He noted the scar on her right leg, the reminder from the car accident suffered the night Kara vanished. Still, she moved well.
The sun had given her skin a warm glow, accentuating her fit, toned body. Half the guys playing had been stealing glances of her as she bent forward to make a shot.
He’d leaned against a tree, watching the game. Watching her. Enjoying every moment of it.
She’d not recognized him, but when other players had broken for a break, she’d glanced over at him a couple of times.
“Tessa?” he asked.
“Yes?” She shielded her eyes from the sun, squinting as she tried to place him.
He pushed off from the tree and moved toward her. “Dakota Sharp.” Automatically, he stuck out his hand, though he could see she’d still not connected the dots. “Tessa McGowan, right?”
“Yeah.” Her head cocked to the side as she took his hand in a firm grip. Her hand was soft, smooth. She smelled of jasmine.
After another beat, her memory seemed to shake loose the connection. “Kara’s brother?”
“Right.” The association with his sister deflated some of his good mood as he reluctantly released her hand.
“I’m with the Virginia State Police now.”
She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “Do you live around here?” she asked.
“No. Just getting in a run. Fresh air. I don’t get enough of either. Saw the game and then you.”
A delicate pink warmed her cheeks. “Oh.”
“What are you doing these days?”
“Pathology residency.”
He already knew the answers to these basic questions because he’d done a fair amount of digging before making contact. But he liked hearing her talk. Liked being close to her. “Sounds interesting.”
“It is.” She drank her water, and his gaze was drawn to the long line of her neck and her slender fingers wrapped around the bottle.
“Hey, Tessa, the game is about to start back up,” one of the male players shouted.
“Well, I didn’t want to interrupt,” he lied. “I just wanted to say hi.”
“Oh, no worries. Really. Sorry, it just took me a second. It’s been, what, nine or ten years?”
“Give or take.” He maintained eye contact and smiled.
“Hey, McGowan,” one of the guys shouted. “Get your butt in gear.”
She looked over her shoulder at the group, now grinning. “Let me buy you a drink. Be nice to catch up.”
“You sure? I didn’t mean to bust into your afternoon,” he said.
“I’d like it.” She tossed her towel over her shoulder and picked up her backpack. “If you’re up for a little walk, there’s a bar a block from here. It’s cheap. And the burgers are good.”
He grinned. “Sure.”
All traces of hesitation melted from her green gaze. “Great.”
Eight months later it was a hasty Las Vegas wedding, and eight months after that they separated.
He tossed the half-used cigarette into the dirt and ground it out with the tip of his shoe. Hearing the children’s laughter, he picked up the butt and threw it in the garbage.
He’d shoved his way into Tessa’s life, and she’d welcomed him. For a time, he’d been happier than he could remember. He’d never bothered to consider their age difference or that his world-weary, cynical view of life would clash with her youthful impulsiveness.