“This is a divided town. Most don’t like anybody with that last name. The Thompson family has done a lot and got away with even more.”
“Yet, you dated Sean?”
“I did.” She subtly increased her pace to the car as if she didn’t want to talk about it. Unfortunately, our conversation was only beginning.
“Why would the church let Sean Thompson do maintenance if they didn’t trust the family?”
“Because he’s one of the good Thompsons. He’s never bothered anybody.”
“And because he dated you?”
“Maybe.” She waited by her door.
I got on the other side and stared at her. Thank god the car remained between us. She was so gorgeous; I may have closed the space just to inhale that lovely scent, just to be closer to her beauty.
Control yourself. She’s an agent, and you’re on a case.
I caught the way a loose strand brushed against her cheek. “How long did you date Sean?”
She tucked the strand behind her ear. “We’ve been off and on. For a long time.”
“What’s long?”
“Several years.”
“I got the impression that it was only during high school.”
She didn’t appear happy to be under my scrutiny. “We ended it, when I left town but stayed in touch. Sometimes Sean would sneak off and come and visit me in college. We would begin and then end.”
“And then graduate school?”
“Yes. There were a few times then too.”
“And during your time with the FBI?”
She sighed. “Yes. Like I said, we were off and on a lot.”
“It sounds like it was more on than off.”
“It was a very complicated relationship.”
“Why?”
“I loved him. And in some way he loved me. He just didn’t. . .”
“What?”
“He was just ashamed of loving me. He always tried to keep me a secret. Us a secret. He never wanted more than sex. Even when he would come to DC, he would feel uncomfortable with being outside with me.”
That detail annoyed me. It was clear Haven was a stunning woman. Any man should’ve been proud to have her on his arm. Sean sounded like an idiot.
Hopefully, her being in town doesn’t incite another phase of ‘on’ between them.
I tapped the top of the car. “When did you finally end it with Sean?”
“Five years ago. I turned thirty and realized that I’d allowed myself to go in this stupid circle with him for too long. Granted, I dated other men between Sean. I had other loving relationships too. But for some reason, I kept letting Sean back in.”
I held my keys but didn’t open the door. “Why?”
“Blame it on the psychology degree maybe. Some psych majors like a little crazy with their love. They make a hobby out of evaluating their lover.”
“Or maybe. . .you truly loved Sean and hoped that one day he would get over the racist ideals that had been spoon-fed to him as a kid, and finally begin a real life with you?”
She looked away. “Maybe.”
I opened the door, climbed in the car, and unlocked her side.
She got in. “Where’s Brett and Tina?”
I rolled my eyes at her use of their first names. “Well, Haven, I guess the gang is at the diner getting a milk shake and playing rock and roll until we get there.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Grumbling, I started the car. “Fullbrooke police ruined the case. I have Stein and Richards back in the office. They’ll be walking all the agents over the details. They’re going to decide who we should interview again and what steps we should retrace.”
“I can help with that too.”
“You will.” I backed the car out of the parking spot. “But for now, let’s go talk to your ex-boyfriend.”
She let out a long breath.
My phone rang.
I dug into my pocket, pulled it out, and answered, “Hello?”
“Agent King, this is Dr. Ross. I’ve just finished examining the sixth victim. We have some new developments.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“See you then,” Dr. Ross said.
I put the phone back in my pocket and made a U-Turn. “Looks like we’ll have to save your ex for later. The medical examiner found something new.”
“Let’s hope it helps us get to the Unsub faster.”
“Let’s hope.”
Chapter 6
The Lord’s Prayer
Haven
Like a gentleman, Alexander held the County Morgue’s door open for me.
“Have you ever seen a dead body?” he asked.
Embarrassed, I muttered, “No.”
“Then, Dr. Ross will pop your cherry.”
“I’m glad I still have cherries to pop.”
He gave me an odd look. “Hmmm.”
“Sorry. Probably not the most appropriate thing to say.”
“Yet this now ranks as my top conversation when walking into a morgue.”
“Glad I can help.”
“You definitely did.” Alexander smiled. “And don’t worry. You just can’t think of the victim as a person. When the body hits the table, it’s a corpse.”
That would be hard. On the plane, I’d been imagining Melody Luther playing with the stuffed animal that had been left behind in the restaurant. I’d wondered about her smile and the way she giggled when she saw something funny on TV.
Alexander’s words took me away from those thoughts. “Dead victims hold clues. Visiting and analyzing one is a necessary evil. It gets us to the monster faster. A corpse can hold a vast conversation.”
Some of my nervousness calmed. “They talk?”
“Oh yes. You just have to use your eyes to hear them.”
Since it was my first time in the morgue, I was glad it had been several hours since I’d ate. As soon as I stepped inside, the odor of death and chemical preserves hit my nostrils. Bile rose in my throat. My stomach twisted, threatening to release all the airplane food from this morning’s flight.
I knew this case would bring me to a morgue, but I was hoping much later.
At least we’re not at Sean’s house. I would rather stand over a dead body, then see him again.
I wished we didn’t have to talk to him at all. But if he was doing maintenance for the Fullbrooke Baptist and knew about the secret passageways, then he could end up being a suspect. He just needed alibis for the nights the girls were gone.
God, this is going to get messy.
I pushed those worries away and followed Alexander inside.
Fullbrooke’s morgue was small. For a place that held corpses, it was sparkling clean. Shiny steel stood out among the gray walls. The dead were everywhere—stacked in drawers and propped on top of tables while other medical examiners poked and prodded.
Jesus.
I swallowed down the bile, forcing myself to get over it. The last thing I wanted to do was vomit in front of Alexander. I liked to think that I’d earned his respect at the church. We’d gotten a lead in the case when his unit had been chasing their tails for weeks. We might be able to catch this guy before he takes more girls.