Hide and Seek (Criminal Profiler #1)(56)

“Where did you buy your soda and pizza?”

“Lucky’s market.” The same place Debbie had last been seen.

“And did you see anyone in the parking lot or in the store that made you nervous?”

“No.”

“Was there anyone else in the store?”

“Just the clerk and me.”

“Bobby?” Macy asked.

“Yeah. There was also a couple of the high school kids in the parking lot.” A faint smile tugged her lips. “They were comparing fake IDs. Stupid because in those days everyone basically knew who was or wasn’t underage.”

Macy smiled, hoping it didn’t look as strategic as it felt. “I tried to pass off my share of fake IDs as a teenager. Never had any luck.”

“Me neither. I still occasionally get carded. It’s flattering now.” She smiled.

“So where did you go after Lucky’s?”

“I drove home and stepped out of the car. I was juggling my bags and keys and trying to get the back door unlocked. I remember feeling really creeped out, like someone was watching me.”

“Did you see anyone?”

“No. I even scanned the woods, thinking I’d see someone, but there was no one. I shrugged it off and went inside.”

Rebecca grew more somber. “I put the pizza in the oven, took a shower, and when I got out, I ate a slice in front of the television in my room.”

“Where was your room?”

“First floor in the back of the house.”

Everything she’d said so far fit the pattern of this offender. “I went to bed and fell asleep with the television still on. I startled awake to a hand over my mouth and a man wearing a mask standing over me.” She closed her eyes and shuddered.

“I know it’s not easy, but help us catch this guy, Ms. Kennedy.”

She nodded. “At first I was so stunned I froze, but then I guess the adrenaline kicked in. I tried to bite and kick him. God, he was powerful. The more I fought, the more he seemed to enjoy it. Then he pulled this rope out of nowhere and tied me up.”

Macy leaned forward. “The rope wasn’t in his hands when you first saw him?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“It might help you remember.”

Rebecca closed her eyes.

“You were lying in your bed. Was there air-conditioning?”

“Yes. I could hear it humming.”

“Good. The sheets are soft. And then you feel a man on top of you? Did you get a sense of his size?”

“He felt huge.” Her brow knotted. “His feet extended over the edge of the bed.”

“You said he was wearing a ski mask.”

“Yes. It was black with a tight weave. I could only see his eyes and a little bit of his mouth. The openings were trimmed in red.”

“What color was the skin you saw around the eyes and mouth? Was he a Caucasian? African American?”

“He was a white guy.” Her lip quivered. “This is going to sound weird, but he smelled nice.”

“How did he smell?”

“It was a spicy cologne. I smelled it once on a guy years later and nearly freaked out. But I got up the nerve to ask him the brand.”

“And?”

“He said it was called Beacon. I even went to the local mall and found a bottle of it. I smelled the tester at the counter and started crying. The woman must have thought I was nuts.”

Macy noted both details in her pad. “Go on.”

“He yanked up my nightgown and was quickly inside me. He kept staring at me but had a weird look in his eyes.”

“What color were his eyes?” Macy asked.

“Blue.”

“Why did they look weird?”

“Honestly, he looked sad.” She shook her head. “Anyway, he finished pretty quick and then he tugged up his pants. I thought he was finished and was going to leave. But he wrapped his hands around my neck. He tightened his grip, and I started gasping for air.”

“How did his hands feel? Were they rough or smooth?”

“Rough.”

“Did you see hair on his arms?”

“Yes. It was dark.”

“Did he have a tattoo or scar?”

She closed her eyes and drew in a breath. “There was a scar on his abdomen. I remember seeing it when his shirt rode up while he was raping me.”

“Where was the scar?”

“Straight across his gut. And it didn’t look like it was from surgery but from an injury. It was jagged and ugly.”

“You’re doing very well, Ms. Kennedy. Tell me what happened next?”

Rebecca raised her fingertips to her neck. “He tightened his hands around my neck. His eyes changed. They didn’t look sad anymore but excited. He liked doing that better than the other thing.”

“Did you pass out?”

“No.”

“Did he speak?”

“It was garbled, almost like he was talking to himself.”

“Was his voice deep or high pitched?” Macy asked.

“It was barely a whisper. He sounded hoarse. Young. I don’t think he was much older than I was at the time.”