22

Jackson glanced at his watch, then quickened his steps down the narrow hall of the precinct toward Avery’s office. Five till midnight. He shouldn’t worry. Of all the people he knew, Avery was capable of taking care of herself. But even that realization couldn’t stop him from driving across town just to make sure. Not when he’d called her cell phone a dozen times—with no answer. If she wasn’t in her office, he was going to have to end up putting out a BOLO for her.

He rubbed the back of his neck and felt the tension spreading. Overreacting wouldn’t help, but the incident at tonight’s party had everyone involved on edge. It was one thing to lead an investigation by following up on all the forensics, evidence, and a list of suspects. It was another thing when the killer tried to turn things into a game of cat and mouse.

Ahead, a yellow beam of light from Avery’s office spilled into the darkened hallway that had been freshly mopped, leaving behind the strong scent of industrial cleaners.

Jackson wrinkled his nose at the odor and stopped in the doorway of her office. Relief swept through him. She sat behind her desk, surrounded by crime scene photographs, forensic reports, and an evidence box, so intent on what she was looking at that she didn’t even notice his arrival.

He leaned against the wooden door frame, content to watch her work for the moment. She still wore the black dress from the party, complete with tiny diamond earrings dangling from her ears. She looked tired, but just as stunning as the moment he’d picked her up for the party. Relief mingled with the worry he’d felt over the past few hours, confirming that he was smitten. Funny. He’d once told his grandfather that he’d never get involved with a detective. Their job was simply too dangerous and time-consuming. But none of that seemed to matter right now.

Once, before he and Ellie married, she’d asked him how he could work with dead people every day. While she’d always encouraged him, he knew she’d be the last one to show up in his autopsy room. He’d smiled and told her that they never talked back like the patients she saw on a weekly basis at their church’s counseling center.

Ellie had been his first real relationship, and he’d loved her fiercely. But Ellie was gone. And while he wasn’t looking for someone to replace her, he’d never stopped longing for someone to fill the emptiness she’d left.

Avery was managing to do just that. Somehow, she’d found a way to wrap herself around his heart—and at the same time change his mind about detectives. She understood his desire to fight for justice—no matter what the cost.

Which meant they both knew it was worth the risk and the long hours to track down killers. His motivation came from seeing young girls like Tala lying dead on his autopsy table.

The fluorescent lights overhead crackled, pulling Avery’s attention toward the ceiling. Her gaze stopped on Jackson. “Hey. How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long. I tried calling your cell, but you never answered.”

“I’m sorry.” She shot him a sheepish grin and shrugged. “My phone . . . it’s somewhere around here, more than likely with a dead battery.”

“I was worried.”

“I came here after we finished up at the florist, hoping that if I went through everything again, I might find something we’d missed. We’ve got to find this guy.”

“We’re going to.”

She didn’t look convinced. “He used my brother’s name to sign some stupid frequent buyer form. Why would he do that?”

Jackson sat down on the empty seat across from her. Except for the cluttered desk, the rest of the room was immaculate. “He’s toying with you, Avery. He’s trying to get in your head, distract you, scare you, and lead you on some wild-goose chase. That’s what serial killers do. They’re psychopaths who would like nothing more than to take you down as well.”

“I guess finding out who is in charge of the case wouldn’t be hard.”

Every lead they’d followed up on in the past five hours had seemed to focus on that very fact. The deliveryman, the prints on both the card filled out at the flower shop and the bag, and now Michael’s signature . . .

The only thing they could do at this point was continue searching and pray he made a mistake. Which he would. And then they would catch him. Until then, they’d have to keep examining the evidence and trying to turn up new leads.

Avery leaned forward, allowing the dimmed light to catch the fatigue in her expression. Five days working on an intense—and personal—case wasn’t just physically exhausting, it was emotionally draining as well. She needed a day off, but since he was sure she wouldn’t go for that, at a minimum she needed a good night’s sleep.

“You need to go home. You’re exhausted.”

She shot him a half smile. “So it shows?”

He had no intention of falling into that trap. “I’m not answering that question.”

She looked away, her smile quickly fading. “Tell me what you would have me do. I can’t ignore what happened tonight.”

“But you also can’t let him start leading this case. You’re in charge of this investigation. You have to find a way to keep the lead.”

She shook her head. “That’s the problem. I’m not in charge. He chooses his victims. Determines their fate. Kills them in cold blood. I’m not in control of anything. Everywhere I look ends up being the wrong direction, which means all I’ve done is run around chasing a bunch of crazy red herrings. And to make it all worse, he’s made it pretty clear that someone else is going to die.”

She shook her head and drew in a deep breath. “Tess came too close to things tonight. What if the killer had been the one delivering the flower?”

“He wasn’t.”

“Still, it’s not right for me to put my family and my child in danger. Which is why sometimes—like today—I have to ask myself if it’s worth it.”

Her doubts took him by surprise, or maybe more accurately what struck him was the fact that she had the courage to verbalize them to him. Avery wasn’t a quitter, he knew that, but neither was she the kind of person who would put her career above her family. It was a tough balance that many officers in her field struggled to find. And why many of those he knew had given up having a family for their career.

He tried to read her expression. “Maybe it’s time to give this case to another team.”

“No.” A spark of determination was back in her eyes. “But I can’t stand by and take any chances when it comes to Tess. I’ve had run-ins with criminals, threats against my life, but this . . . this was personal, Jackson. It’s made me think about just how dangerous my job is, and no matter how much I love it, it’s not worth losing someone else I love.”

There it was—that irresistible mixture of competence, persistence, and smarts thrown together with a hint of vulnerability that made him want to wrap his arms around her and promise her everything was going to be okay. Except that wasn’t something he could guarantee. “It is a risk.”

“I don’t think I ever told you that Ethan died in the line of duty. A car wreck in a high-speed chase in north Atlanta.”

“No. You hadn’t told me how he died.”

“I don’t talk about it much. I guess I figure most people around here know. Do you know how many times I planned to quit after his death? I even typed up a resignation letter and brought it to work.”

“What stopped you?”

“A case I was working on at the time. A young girl had been found murdered in one of the neighborhood parks. She was nine years old. The same age as Tess at the time. Like this case, I remember thinking it could have been Tess. I could have lost her too. When we found the man who killed her, he had another girl in the back of his vehicle. She would have been dead in another hour. Knowing that she was going to live, seeing the joy in her mother’s eyes, gave me what I needed to keep going. To do everything I can to save one more.”

“We live in a fallen world. Death, hatred, jealousy, everything that motivates man . . . none of it was ever a part of God’s plan.”

She looked up and caught his gaze. “But when you see it day after day, it’s easy to wonder if what you do really makes a difference.”

“We make a difference to the ones we save.”

“And the ones we don’t?”

“Do you want my advice? At least for tonight?”

She smiled, but the fatigue was clear in her eyes. “I have a feeling you’ll give it to me no matter what I say.”

“I know this entire case has become personal, but you need to go home and get some sleep. You’re exhausted. You’ll be able to think clearer come morning. You’re not going to be able to help anyone if you’re not able to do your job.”

“It is morning, if I’m not mistaken.” She rubbed her eyes, then glanced at the mound of paperwork covering her desk. “But—”

“No buts.” He stood up and moved to rest his hands against the back of the chair. One way or another he was going to get her out of here and home where she should be this time of night. “Where’s Tess?”

“She’s at my parents’. For tonight anyway.”

“Good. That’s where you should go.”

“I’m not ready to move out of my house because of this guy, Jackson. I’ve got an alarm system and my Glock. I’ll be fine.”

“And don’t forget Freddie the frog, a couple rats, and a few other animals that can protect you.”

“Very funny.”

She switched off the light on her desk, then reached for her purse hanging on the chair behind her. She might still be arguing, but at least she was moving.

“I just want you to be careful. This guy might be smart, but more than likely he’s off balance, which makes for a dangerous combination.”

“Is that your professional opinion?”

“I might spend a lot of time with dead people, but I’ve been around enough murder investigations to learn a thing or two.”

For a moment he wished for a normal life. One where they didn’t have killers breathing down their necks. Where the stakes weren’t so high.

They’ll all fall down.

More girls? Tess? Avery? They wouldn’t know until they stopped him. Which meant they had to find him.

He grabbed his keys out of his pocket as they walked out the front door. “Let me drive you home.”

“I’ve got my car.”

Stubborn as always. “Then I’ll follow you.”

“Jackson—”

“Do it for me. I’ll sleep better tonight if I know you’re home safe.”

“Okay.”

He brushed his hand across her cheek. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

She took a step forward, nodded, then slipped her hand into his.