The rest of the night, he was MIA. I understood the disappointment of not winning, but it was all part of the gamble. He should have saved face and mingled with the rest of us. The talent that was in this one room was enough to make anyone giddy. So that was what I did. I worked too hard to be here to worry about someone else.
Whispers made the dream flutter and fade.
Wait! I yelled in my mind, wanting to chase after it, wanting to chase after my happiness.
“Please! Come back!” I shouted, and my eyes flew open to find a roaring fire in shades of orange, red, and blue that blurred together as I blinked away my tears.
“Hey,” Lisa’s face was suddenly in front of me, “are you okay?”
I moved to sit up and took in my surroundings.
“When did you get here?”
“Last night.”
“Last night?” I glanced around the room and focused on the clock. It was 5:00 a.m.
“You’ve been asleep for almost thirteen hours.” She moved to sit closer and handed me a hot cup of coffee. “Here. Figured you needed it.”
“I guess so.” I rubbed my groggy head. “Where’s Blake?”
“He pulled an all-nighter, but he called to check on you three times.”
I downed about half the coffee before I stood and started to pack up my things.
“Where are you going?”
“I think I should be at the station today. Shockingly, I’m going a little nutty here.”
“Well, go have a shower, and I will drive you in.”
I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you too, hon.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Jonah
“There you are, Shauna,” I muttered from behind a pair of binoculars. I swallowed hard when I saw she was wearing my favorite color, just like that red blouse Tiffany used to wear. I thought of how her nipples would grow hard and peek through, daring me to lick the tips.
The cold truth washed over me, and I shook off the memory. I didn’t need that she-devil in my head. I had work to do.
I eased the car into drive and slowly followed her as she made her way down the road and into the same parking lot she used every Thursday. She visited her grandmother in a nursing home the same time every week. Shauna was unbelievably predictable, and that was why she won over the other chick who jumped around here and there.
She dropped her keys and disappeared from my view. A small nerve in my neck started to tick, and I felt as though something was wrong. As I inched farther into the parking lot, I tucked my binoculars and screwdriver behind my seat and slipped on a Rolex I had lifted from a dead guy three nights ago.
Just as I rounded a corner, my stomach dropped, and my heart along with it. Blue and red lights splashed color all over the concrete walls. There must have been at least thirty officers there, and right smack in the middle of them was Shauna.
A cop motioned for me to lower my window. He shone a flashlight over my tailored suit and briefcase in the front seat. Yes, I was prepared. “Where are you heading this afternoon?”
“Hello, officer.” I addressed him kindly and tried to even out my breathing. “I had forgotten my wallet in my office and had to turn around to come back for it.” I tried to beat him to the punch of asking for it. “Everything all right here?”
He nodded and stared at me a moment longer, I was sure trying to judge if I belonged here.
“Just had a tip that someone was lurking in the area, so we’re checking it out.”
“Seems to be a lot of fuss just for a lurker.” I wanted to see if he’d spill more.
“I think we can all agree the city is a little on edge with what’s going on.”
“Agreed.” I didn’t miss a beat.
Come on…come on!
“Has there been another murder?”
His eyes snapped down to mine, and I wondered if I went too far.
“Not tonight, there won’t be.”
There it is. Motherfucker, they know!
My mask slipped as my temperature rose, and my grip on the wheel tightened.
“Happy to hear it,” I bit out. “Keep up the good work.”
He tapped his hat and let me pass. I could barely feel my body as I parked three floors up from the madness below. I fumbled with my phone and managed to send a quick text off to my agent.
Jonah: Dropping book 5. Will only do 4.
I didn’t wait for a response. I just pounded my fists into the dashboard of my BMW rental.
Chapter Forty
Blake
“This is pretty impressive.” Henry stood next to me at the bar, taking in the scene at the station’s Christmas party. They had rented out the City Center, had an open bar, live music, and had paid Uber to be the designated drivers. “So,” he wiggled his eyebrows at the ladies who whisked by us in their evening gowns, “where is she?”
I scanned the room then checked my phone. “Sarge said they should be here.” Spencer and Lisa wanted to get ready together, so I decided to come early with Henry.
“I appreciate you coming.” I sipped my scotch.
“I appreciate the invite. Lord knows I can’t take another stuffy party.” He snickered and asked for another drink then dropped a five-dollar bill in the tip jar. Our parents both partied and did like a stiff drink. We loved them, but their friends were another story.
“Merry Christmas, boys.” Bri joined us in a green dress that showed off a diamond cutout on the back when she turned.
“You look lovely, Bri.” Henry leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “It’s been how long since I’ve seen you?”
“At least a year.”
“Wow, and you haven’t changed a bit.”
“Well, you know.” She laughed then spotted Benny. “I see my date, and it’s not…” She trailed off and started to smirk. “Oh, my, sometimes I wish I played for my own team.”
“Huh?” I followed her line of sight and saw Spencer surrounded by a group of male officers.
“No fucking way.” Henry hit my arm. “You didn’t tell me how sexy she was.”
“Because there are no words to describe it.” I watched her speak to the others. Her face lit up over something Jackson said, and she dropped her head back and laughed. I felt everything inside me shift. I wanted to reach out and pull her into my arms, but I couldn’t.
She must have felt my eyes on her because her gaze met mine and she gave me a little wave. I gave her a slight nod before I addressed Sarge, who had come up next to me.
“Keep your eyes open. If he’s here, we need to spot him.”
“You think he’ll show here at the party?” Bri asked behind her wine glass.
“He’s pissed,” Sarge said. “We got the last woman on the list who matched who he was looking for.”
“Perhaps.” Bri didn’t sound convinced.
“What?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Look, not to point fingers here, but you have to admit, most of the time it’s the loners who are the killers, right? So, when I look at all the interactions I’ve had here at the station, if I was to point any fingers, I would say look at that Candy Man fella. He knows everyone’s business. His nineteen-seventies nickname screams serial killer, and he’s always lurking around.”