Crimson Lies

Chapter Nine

Roseanne

Monday morning I'd given myself an extra thirty minutes to make the forty-five minute drive, but an accident on 95 meant I had to run from the parking lot to the office to make sure I wasn't late for my appointment with Supervisory Special Agent Frazer.

I'd spent the weekend immersed in internet searches on some old news stories and when I hadn't been thinking about the viciousness humans could inflict on one another, I'd been thinking of the searing kiss I'd shared with Lisa Manoban. I didn't know the last time I'd been so attracted to anyone, or so conflicted about a personal decision.

My footsteps were brisk against the gray linoleum of the corridor. Heads looked up and then turned away. No smiley hellos, no casual waves. This situation at work was making me increasingly queasy. I passed Hanrahan's open door and stopped. He raised his hand in acknowledgment and sent me a wry smile. I opened my mouth to say something but he shook his head. Fine. She almost plowed into Frazer as he came out of his office.

"Good. You're not late." He locked his door. "Let's go."

I barely had time to suck in a breath as I turned on my heel and started walking back the way I came.

Frazer was sharply dressed in a pale gray pin-striped suit, hair combed and shiny, chin shaved to granite-like perfection. Weird that he didn't even give me a tingle of attraction, even though he was a classic blue-eyed Viking. Not that I went around being attracted to anyone left, right and center. If it wasn't for the spark I'd experienced with Lisa , I'd have forgotten there was a sexual side to my nature. It made me wonder again if I wasn't making a huge mistake blowing Lisa off. How many times in life did you really connect with someone that way?

"You reviewed the case files?"

I snapped back from pondering my love life. I had work to do. "Yes, sir."

He held the door for me and I met that cold assessing gaze. Could Frazer be in league with vigilantes?

He said nothing more until he was behind the wheel of a big black Lexus-his Bureau vehicle-which meant he was well connected in all the places that mattered. I strapped myself in. There was a time when this sort of luxury had been a constant in my life. After I'd switched career tracks from law to law enforcement my parents had cut off my allowance, aiming to prove a point. It had backfired because I hadn't known how great it would feel to be financially independent. And sure, I had the cushion of enough money for down payments on furniture and a mortgage, but I hadn't gone running back to them for help. I'd learned to economize and live within my means. I got a ridiculous amount of satisfaction from achieving that small measure of independence.

"What can you tell me about the cases?"

This was a test and I wanted to prove myself not to be completely incompetent. I cleared my throat. "Over the last twelve months this killer has abducted young females with long dark hair. He rapes them, beats and strangles them, and dumps the victims in remote locations where he knows the bodies will eventually be discovered, but not immediately. He gives himself time to get away from the scene."

I mulled over my thoughts. "Except Lindsey Keeble was dumped in a place where it was unlikely she'd have been found until spring. We got lucky. She's probably our best chance of catching this guy."

"She might not be an exception-we have no idea how many women he's killed and disposed of in really remote locations. Lindsey might be the only one we have found."

"True." Which was a sickening notion because who knew how many undiscovered bodies were out in the wilds. I forced the thoughts away and carried on because he seemed to expect it. "The cars of the victims who were driving have sometimes been found in remote areas, generally off-road, in the bush. Some of the women were believed abducted while hitchhiking. No one saw anything suspicious."