Buried (Bone Secrets, #3)(23)

One of the uniforms coughed, and Michael glared his way. “Is the house clear?”

“Yes, we cleared it. Ms. Jacobs hasn’t gone back in to see if anything is missing yet.” The cop raised an eyebrow at Jamie, and Michael wanted to kick him for pressuring her. His name tag read “Byers.”

“I’m ready now,” she said. She reached up and took one of Michael’s hands off her shoulders, gripping it. “Will you go with me?”

Like anyone could stop him.

She started toward her front door, and Michael glanced at the cops just in time to see their gazes drop to her ass. “Christ,” he muttered, and their gazes immediately bounced up. Protectiveness washed over him, and he bit back a growl.

Jamie stepped through the doorway and slowly walked down the hall. Michael felt a tremor in her hand as she turned into the kitchen. “Should I be walking in here?” she asked. “Am I going to ruin evidence?”

“Just don’t move anything till they get some pictures,” Michael said. “It’s not a murder scene.”

It looked like a tornado had ripped through the room. His gaze focused on three big zigzagging brown smears on the floor. “Is that his blood or yours?”

Jamie blinked at the smears. “Mine. I think that one is from my face.” She pointed. “And the others must have happened when I was kicking him from the floor. I cut the backs of my legs on broken glass. I didn’t even feel it.” She touched the bandage on her right thigh, a bewildered look on her face. “The EMTs spotted the blood.”

“Is anything missing?” Byers patiently asked.

Jamie surveyed the room. “I don’t think so. Nothing of value in here. Unless he likes Mauviel.”

Simultaneously, Michael snorted and Byers asked, “Likes what?”

“Cookware.” Michael pointed at the shiny copper pans strewn on the floor. “Spendy.”

Byers raised a brow at him.

“My mother likes it,” Michael explained.

A five-minute walk-though of the house turned up nothing missing. But someone had been thorough. Every drawer was pulled out and overturned. Closets emptied. Byers’s partner silently snapped digital shots. Jamie discovered her jewelry intact and her electronics untouched. The tenseness left Jamie’s shoulders, but she paced the kitchen, unable to relax. Nervous energy bleeding out her pores.

“They dug through everything,” Michael said. “How long were you gone?”

“About twenty minutes. I usually run for an hour, but my leg was bugging me.”

“You run every day?”

“Most days.”

“Same time of day?”

“Always at seven.”

Michael exchanged a look with the cops. “Someone knew your schedule. He thought he knew exactly how long he had. You must have surprised him before he could take off with anything.”

Jamie shook her head. “He wasn’t looking for valuables. He was looking for Chris.”

Electric shocks shot through Michael’s nerves. “What?”

The uniform taking notes said, “He kept asking where her brother was.”

Michael clutched at Jamie’s arm, whirling her to face him. “He wanted Chris? He said that?”

She nodded. “He said Chris would remember his cigarette burns. He’s the one, Michael, he’s the one who hurt Chris. He must be the one who killed all those children…and your brother.”

Daniel. Michael eased his grip on her arm and rubbed at it in apology. His mind felt ready to explode. The man who killed Daniel is still here. I will find him.

“Sorry, princess.” He turned to Byers. “You’ve got to contact Detective Callahan in OSP’s Major Crimes.”

The cop’s eyes narrowed. “Major Crimes? Why? We’ve called out one of our robbery and assault detectives.”

Michael shook his head. “You’ve got to contact Callahan. This is related to a murder case he’s caught.”

Byers glanced at Jamie for confirmation. She nodded, still silent. “What the hell?” Byers asked. “Everyone out. Out of the house now.” He stepped closer to Michael. “You better know what you’re talking about. Why the f*ck didn’t the two of you say something to start with?” His glare included Jamie.

Michael’s hackles rose. “Because I didn’t know till she mentioned her brother, and she was in too much shock from fighting for her goddamned life.” He challenged Byers’s stare.

“I’m sorry—” Jamie started.

“Not your fault. Not your fault at all.” He rubbed his hands over her shoulders. “Did you get a look at him?”

She nodded and then started to shiver.

“Christ. Let’s get out in the sun. You got a coat you can grab?”

“Don’t take anything out of the house yet,” Byers interjected. “I’ve got a Mylar blanket in the car she can use.”

Jamie’s teeth started to chatter.

“Jesus,” said Michael. “Outside. Now.”



She couldn’t get warm. She was wrapped in two Mylar blankets and in full sun, lying flat on her back in the middle of her front yard. Michael had wedged a backpack from his truck under her feet and knelt by her head, rubbing at her hands.