Hide and Seek (Criminal Profiler #1)(81)

“I want this guy so bad I can taste it,” Macy said.

“You’ll have to get in line behind me.”

When she and Nevada got into his vehicle, she checked her messages and found one from Andy. She dialed her number. “Andy, what do you have?”

“You have two more hits. A woman matching the description you gave me was strangled to death in 2015, and another in 2017.”

“Where?”

“The 2015 murder occurred in Charleston, West Virginia, and the 2017 murder occurred in Bluefield, Virginia, which is less than sixty miles from Deep Run.”

“Was there DNA?” Macy asked.

“There was, but it was badly degraded in both cases,” she said. “The bodies of both women weren’t found for months after they vanished.”

Her heart raced faster. “Were their remains buried?”

“No, they were both dumped on the side of the road. In that part of the world, the side of the road isn’t always a neat shoulder. It can be a drop off the side of a mountain.”

“What about red rope?”

“Discovered bound to the hands of the 2017 victim.”

“Who’s the local law enforcement contact?”

“Sheriff Wade Tanner,” Andy said.

“Do you have a phone number?”

Andy rattled it off. “I also have a possible hit in western Maryland, but I’ll know later today. The locality’s application was incomplete.”

“Andy, in any of the cases you mentioned, were there teeth marks on the victims?”

Papers shuffled and then she spoke. “In Atlanta, the victim had a significant bite mark on her upper right arm. Should I add that to the list?”

“Yes. And thank you, Andy. I appreciate it.” She glanced toward Nevada, feeling the first easing of the pressure that had been building in her since she’d walked out of Ramsey’s office. “Did you hear?”

“I did.”

She looked up Bluefield on her phone. “Mercer County borders Virginia. We can be there in less than two hours.”

“I know Sheriff Wade Tanner. I worked a bureau case in his jurisdiction seven or eight years ago. Let me call him.”

He dialed Tanner’s number, but she could hear the sheriff’s clipped, deep voice on his recorded message. Nevada left a message.

Macy was making progress, but would she nail him before he killed again?



Brooke’s head pounded when her eyes fluttered open. She tried to sit up, but pain shot through her body, sending her backward to the stained carpet. She lay for a moment, her heart beating fast as she tried to collect herself.

Where was she?

Drawing in a breath, she pushed up to a sitting position and rested her back against the concrete. Her throat also hurt, and when she raised her hand to her neck, the flesh felt tender and bruised.

She reached for her weapon and discovered her gun belt had been stripped away, as had her shoes and socks. The pins securing her hair had been removed, leaving her long dark hair to fall past her shoulders.

As she looked around the small room, she was now more pissed than afraid. How could she have been so stupid? She’d heard his footsteps come up behind her, but she’d not reacted fast enough.

Her mind went to Matt sleeping in his bed. Worry and fear swirled around her anger. It was one thing for her to pay the price for not being on guard, but not her kid. Tears burned her eyes before she stopped her thoughts midstream. She was no use to Matt sitting in here crying like a child. This prick wouldn’t have it easy with her.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed to a standing position and felt along the walls until her fingertips brushed over a doorknob. Hope came and went just as quickly as she rattled the knob and realized it was locked.

She considered shouting and pounding, but knew this was what he wanted from her. Fear. And she’d be damned if she’d give it to him. Drawing in a deep breath, she ran her fingers again over her neck. He’d strangled her while she’d been unconscious. Not very sporting, even for him. Out cold, she’d not shown him the fear he craved, so he’d left her alive. For now.

If she was sure of anything, it was that he would return and strangle her again.

One way or another, she had to get ready for him.





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Thursday, November 21, 1:30 p.m.

Nevada and Macy had arrived in Deep Run when Sheriff Tanner called. After a brief exchange, the two agreed to continue the discussion on a closed-circuit connection in the conference room.

Sullivan poked his head into the room. “Received a text from Deputy Bennett. She says her boy is real sick. She’ll be here as soon as she can.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Nevada asked.

“Probably, but the deputy never asks for help and likely would be embarrassed by it.”

“I’ll follow up with her in the next hour,” Nevada said.

“And this package arrived for Agent Crow.”

Macy opened the package and pulled out the small sample of Beacon cologne. She removed the top and sprayed a light mist on her wrist. She inhaled, hoping she’d smelled this before. She had not.

She handed the bottle to Nevada. “It’s not familiar to me. I think our guy might have changed his scent.”

He sniffed and then recapped it. “It’s not familiar to me either, but I’ll pass it around the office. Someone might recognize it.”