I See You (Criminal Profiler #2)(14)

A breeze carried the soft scent of new perfume that he liked very much. “Would you like to go now?”

“I would.” In the car, she typed in the address of the business. “The website says they’re open until seven.”

Vaughan glanced at the time on the digital dash clock. He had pictured his first night without Nate to be a quiet affair featuring a cold beer, pizza, and the preseason football game he had taped.

In all honesty, the idea of quiet had been unsettling. He’d heard empty nesters got used to the silence, but he was not there yet. The more commotion in his life, the better, as far as he was concerned.

“Let’s go.” She scrolled through her phone messages. “Two missed calls from Nikki McDonald.”

“Persistent. I’ll give her that much.”

“She can wait.”



Wild Blue: I can’t make dinner.

Mr. Fix it: Why?

Wild Blue: Mom and Dad got bad news. Something about her sister.

Mr. Fix it: What about her?

Wild Blue: I’ll tell you later.

Mr. Fix it: Okay.

Wild Blue: U r the only one who understands me.

Mr. Fix it: We are one and the same. How is your mom?

Wild Blue: Lame. Like always. Next Monday?

Mr. Fix it: Yes.

Wild Blue: Luv you.

Mr. Fix it: Me, too.





CHAPTER FIVE

Monday, August 12, 6:00 p.m.

Alexandria, Virginia

One Day Before

Zoe had never seen Vaughan ruffled. He kept his tone easy and direct and could rope in a suspect, coworker, or even her with an easy smile. But she sensed those still waters ran deep, and he was not satisfied with the visit with Hadley Foster.

She flipped through the pictures in her case file until she reached the images of the blackened skull. “One thing to kill a young woman, but it’s another to pull her teeth and burn her remains.”

“That kind of death reminds me of a mob or cartel hit,” he said. “Makes me wonder if Larry Prince was into something he shouldn’t have been.”

“Kill the girl to punish the father? That’s possible, but it’s a stretch. Larry Prince was investigated thoroughly, and there was nothing that smelled of organized crime.”

“And cartels don’t usually call the media and tell them where to find the body,” he reasoned.

“Maybe Larry Prince pissed off the wrong person. Maybe someone pointed the finger at him, and he and his family paid the price.”

“It’s possible.”

Vaughan wove up King Street, angled down Telegraph Road, and turned on Richmond Highway, where the landscape quickly turned from new and modern to strip malls, fast-food joints, and light industry. Five miles down Route One, he drove onto the Slater Slurry Inc. lot.

He parked beside a line of trucks, and the two made their way to the front office. A bell rang over their heads. The office was small and covered in faux paneling that looked like it dated back to the seventies. The few guest chairs were chrome and red vinyl, and the front desk, piled high with files, was metal.

A door behind the desk opened to a stocky man with a thick crop of gray hair held back with reading glasses. His face was round and wrinkled and reminded her of a bulldog.

“Can I help you?” the man asked.

“We’re looking for Mr. Henry Slater.” Vaughan held up his badge and made introductions.

“You found me.” The man arched a brow. “What’s this about?”

“We wanted to ask you about Larry Prince.”

Slater pulled off his glasses and moved behind the desk. “He’s been dead seventeen years. Died of a heart attack.”

“I understand you two had a good working relationship,” Vaughan said.

“He was my boss,” Slater replied. “He treated me fairly, taught me the business. In return, I gave him a solid day’s work. Our relationship was strictly professional. When the whistle blew, we went our separate ways.”

“What do you remember about Marsha Prince?” Zoe asked.

“I’ve done my best to forget about it all.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “She was a great kid. Hardworking, and all the customers loved her. Broke her father’s heart when she vanished.”

“Hadley also worked in the shop?” Vaughan asked.

“Not as much, but she was gearing up to run the register full time. But when her sister went missing, she got married and left town. I tried to keep up with Hadley and even sent her a Christmas card that first year she was out west, but she never wrote back. I figured it was just as well. Larry and Edith weren’t exactly the best of parents.”

“Why do you say that?” Vaughan asked.

“Larry was super controlling with his girls. Didn’t like boys looking at them at all. If Mark hadn’t been working here, I’m not sure Larry would ever have let him date Hadley. But Mark was a hardworking guy, and Larry liked him. Why are you asking about Marsha now?”

“Marsha Prince’s remains were found eight weeks ago. It’s taken this long to identify them.”

“Shit. Where?” Slater asked.

“About five miles from here in a storage unit,” Zoe said.

“I remember a reporter doing a story a couple months ago,” Slater said. “She found bones in a box.”