Jillian Reid knew she’d made the right decision to leave the Centralized Homicide Unit in San Bernardino to become a deputy in her hometown of Big Bear. Not just because she’d gotten away from her sleazy ex-husband, the lying cheating scum-of-the-earth.
But she’d had enough of dead bodies and the horribly evil things people did to one another. Still, she had to laugh. In the six months since her return, she’d been to Mrs. Bronski’s house at least ten times.
The poor thing lived alone. Her family had all moved away and the eighty year old woman was lonely. Mrs. Bronski had been her third grade teacher and Jilly loved her. Every time she came to answer a call, a plate of homemade cookies and fresh coffee were waiting.
The complaint today was the neighbor’s barking dog. Jilly had gone over to speak to the man who had his dog tethered to a tree in the yard, but he wasn’t home. She’d have to come back later. So she ate three cookies, finished off a cup of coffee, and promised to return. She was in her cruiser writing notes for her report when her radio squawked.
“Jilly, you there?”
She picked up the microphone and hit the transmit button.
“Yeah, Marge, what’s up?”
“Are you still over at the Bronski house?”
“Just getting ready to leave. Why?”
“Dale Tucker’s on that side of the lake. He’s hysterical, but I could swear he said he found dead women over by Hunters Cove–”
“What?” Jilly started the engine.
“I’m pretty sure that’s what he said, but he was talking crazy. Something about sea grass not letting him leave.”
“He probably got tangled in a bush or a fallen tree,” Jilly said.
“I know. I told you he was talking crazy. Can you check it out?”
“Sure. Where’s Bud?”
“He’s spending the day at the courthouse down the mountain. I don’t expect him back until late this afternoon.”
“Okay, I’m on my way. Thanks, Marge.” Jilly hung up the mic, put her vehicle in reverse and gunned it. She’d just cleared the driveway when there was a huge crash. “Crap.”
She’d plowed into the passenger side of what looked like a brand new black Mustang. Good going, you just totaled a tourist’s car. That’s going to go over just great.
She jumped out of the SUV and ran toward the driver’s side of the vehicle.
“Are you all right?” she yelled as she rounded the back of the car. A tall man unfolded himself from the seat. His neatly trimmed sandy blond hair was spiked up in front, he had a dark five o’clock shadow, and the most amazing green eyes. They reminded her of – “Cody Thomas?”
A slow sexy grin spread across his face.
“Well, Jilly Reid, as I live and breathe. Last I heard you were a homicide detective down the mountain. What are you doing driving a sheriff’s vehicle up here?”
“What are you doing here? I thought you were a big bad FBI agent out in Montana.”
He tilted his head. “I asked you first.”
“I’ve been back about six months now.”
“What happened, did that temper of yours get you fired?”
Jilly’s hands fisted at her sides. “No, I did not get fired.”
“Did your husband kick you out?” He chuckled.
“You are the same arrogant SOB you were in high school.” If he didn’t wipe that shit-eating grin off his face, she was going to do it for him. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m meeting my brother and his girlfriend for a little R & R at my grandparents’ cabin.” His brows rose. “You still haven’t answered my question. What brought you back up the mountain?”
Jilly stared up at him. He had to be a good foot taller than her five foot five. He’d obviously kept growing after high school. Damn, but she’d had a wicked crush on the guy from the time he’d moved here their sophomore year. Of course, he never looked her way. He was a jock and she was a nerd.
“As much as I’d like to shoot the breeze, I have somewhere I need to be. I’ll have Marge call you a tow truck and I’ll write up the accident report later. I have to go.” With that, Jilly turned her back on him. He grabbed her wrist and she spun around, spoiling for a fight.
“If you haven’t noticed, our cars are tangled.” He looked at her with that I’m-all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips expression of his. The guy still had the ability to fluster her. Instantly she was that gawky teen and he the most popular boy in school.
“I noticed,” she ground out. “I’ll just pull up and you can move your car to the side of the road. I have police business.” She wrenched her wrist free.
“Yeah, well, that cat stuck up in the tree will have to wait.”
“For your information, it is not a cat stuck in a tree. It’s a dead body, a few I’m told. So if you’ll excuse me.” She turned on her heels.
“Dead bodies. Here?” Cody said.
Jilly glanced at him over her shoulder. His expression had mellowed. No longer smiling, he looked worried. The fight in her fled. “Look, I don’t know. It could be nothing, but Dale Tucker is pretty freaked out about something he saw and I need to get over to Hunters Cove immediately to check it out.”
He put his hands in his pockets. “Maybe I can help.”
“Not on your life. We don’t need the FBI on this. Remember, we have our own central homicide unit. If I need them, I’ll call.”
“You can’t leave the scene of an accident. You hit me, remember? Either I go with you, or I’ll file a lawsuit against the city. It’s your choice.”
“You’d do that?” She stared at the steely determination in his face. “You have not changed one bit. You’re still an asshat.” His expression did not change. “Fine, move your vehicle and we’ll deal with this later.”
He slipped back into his car and waited for her. She pulled forward and the loud crunching sound made her cringe. She wasn’t looking forward to telling Bud about this, and she didn’t just mean the accident.
The sheriff would be less than pleased she was taking an FBI agent to their scene. But if the dickwad sued the city, she’d be in big trouble. So she had to make an executive decision since Bud was tied up for the day. Special Agent Cody Thomas was coming with her.
Jilly watched as he parked the Mustang on the side of the road, then she pulled up next to his car and braked. Cody opened the door and once again his face was plastered with a big smile. Her blood boiled. “Just get in and shut the hell up.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a two-finger salute and slid into the passenger’s side. “I must say, you’ve filled out nicely over the years. You were a bit scrawny back in the day.”
“What part of shut up don’t you understand?” She bit out.
Jilly turned on the lights and siren this time when she took off. Before long they were at the lake. She slowed at the turn to Hunters Cove and soon came upon Dale standing in the middle of the road, waving.
He looked like a drowned rat. He wore a blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a shawl. She got out of the vehicle and hitched up her heavy utility belt as she walked toward him.
“Dale.” Jilly gave him a nod. “What’s going on here?” The fifty-something man did not look good. His face was deathly pale and his eyes were bloodshot.
“Dead women.” Dale gulped a breath. “In the water. I saw them.” His body shook uncontrollably even as he pulled the wool material tighter around his neck.
“Cody, I have some blankets in the back of my rig. Would you bring me a few?”
“You got it.” Cody jogged back toward the SUV.
She turned to Dale. “Okay, just relax. Let’s have a seat over here.” She led him to a fallen log.
Cody returned with the blankets and handed them to Dale.
“Now, start at the beginning,” Jilly said.
After Dale had finished his story, she glanced at Cody to gauge his reaction. He wore a grim expression. Without a word, he started unbuttoning his flannel shirt.
“What are you doing?” Jilly watched as he yanked the bottom of the shirt from his pants, removed it and hung it on the end of a tree branch. Her jaw dropped, she couldn’t help it.
The man’s body was sculpted; from his pecs, to his abs, on down to his obliques that disappeared into his low-slung jeans. Crap. Lustful thoughts followed.
Cody sat on the fallen log and started taking off his hiking boots. “I’m going in.”
“You’ll freeze your ass off. The water’s got to be pretty cold with the spring runoff.”
“You got a better idea?” He removed a sock and stuffed it into a boot.
“Yeah, we get someone out here in a wetsuit.”
“And if he’s mistaken?” Cody asked.
“I’m not mistaken nothin’. You just wait and see,” Dale said, affronted.
Cody focused on the older man. “I know you’re upset, Mr. Tucker. I just want to check it out. That’s all. Sometimes our minds play tricks on us. The water can get pretty murky. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Cody stood and dropped his pants. He stood just a few feet away in a pair of burgundy boxer briefs. Jilly found herself staring at his package. Her eyes flew up to his face. “Are you going to strip naked?” This was getting way out of hand. The guy was nuts!
“Sorry to disappoint you, but this is as far as I go unless you’re willing to buy me dinner first.” He flashed her a naughty grin and wiggled his eyebrows at her.
Jilly crossed her arms over her chest. “Ha ha, very funny.”
He folded his jeans and laid them on a stump.
Then she watched his very fine ass disappear into the water.
Jilly was right, of course. The water was so cold that his goosebumps had goosebumps. He swam toward the boat, and stopped short a good five feet before he dove. He followed the appendage tangled round the blade of the outboard motor. Sure enough, that was a woman’s head. By his calculations, her hair must be a good three feet in length.
Her face was frozen in a scream.
Her eyes were wide with shock.
In fact, all the women wore the same grotesque expression, whether there was flesh left on their faces or not.
As Cody scissor-kicked toward the surface, he glanced down and understood why Dale said it resembled sea grass. The way the current swished the hair back and forth was almost calming.
He came up for air. “You’ve got a problem.” Then he swam to shore. The moment he stepped onto the beach, Jilly handed him a blanket. “Thanks.” He dried himself off.
“What’d you find?” Jilly asked.
He looked at Dale, then back at her. “Maybe you should let your witness go down to the station and fill out a report.” He threw the blanket on the log and dragged on his pants.
Her lips pursed like she’d just sucked on a lemon. “Don’t tell me what to do. This is not your crime scene.”
Cody buttoned up his jeans. “Well, by the look of things, I’d say it’s more like one of my cases than yours.”
Her chin jutted out. “I was a homicide detective for five years.”
“Yeah? And how many serial killers did you catch in that time?” He snagged his shirt.
A surprised look flashed across her face, and then she glared at him. He’d kick her ass in poker.
“None.”
“That’s what I thought.” He nodded toward Dale. “Cut him loose.” The guy still shivered. Cody knew it wasn’t because he was cold. He was wrapped tighter than a mummy. “And get forensics here immediately. You’ll need a diver or two and a waterproof camera.” Cody buttoned up his shirt and plopped down on the log.
She glared at him. “You are not the boss of me.”
Cody laughed. Not only did she look like a damn kid, she sounded like one too. Her brunette hair was smoothed into a high ponytail with bangs framing her face.
Her big blue eyes were made brighter by the color of her face as it flamed red in anger. Her lips were pink and shiny. Right now he had the urge to taste them. The utility belt she wore made her look like she’d fall over in a stiff wind.
He’d thought she was cute in high school, but now, let’s just say he was very impressed by the woman she’d become. He sat down, and brushed the dirt and pine needles off the bottom of his foot before sliding on a sock.
“Are you going to tell me what you saw, or what?” she ground out.
Cody looked at Dale, then back at her. He tied his boot.
“Fine,” she huffed. She walked over to the witness. “Dale, why don’t you go home, take a hot shower and put on some dry clothes. Then I’d appreciate it if you would go down to the station and give them a formal statement,” she said, sweetly.
“Okay, Jillian.” Dale got up and headed down the road toward his truck.
Cody tied his other boot and stood. Once Dale was out of earshot he said, “Looks like a dump site, several women in varying degrees of decomp.” He ran his hands through his wet hair.
“You’re going to need to call the ME and tell him to bring seven body bags. The recovery will not be easy. It looks like some of the women have been down there awhile. Fish food. Identification is going to be difficult.”
Jilly grimaced.
“Hey, I thought you were a big bad homicide detective for five years,” he said.
“Never dealt with a floater. I’ve seen pictures, but he’d only been in the water a day. I can’t imagine the condition of these women. I’m not looking forward to seeing them.”
“I’m just busting your chops. Even the toughest, most seasoned agents would vomit at the sight I just saw.”
Her brows knit. “How come you didn’t?”
“Who says I didn’t?” He cocked his head. “Let’s just say I think I’ve seen it all and leave it at that.”