As twilight descended, Sarah joined Nana on the deck overlooking Rebecca’s backyard, handing her grandmother a glass of iced tea. “I thought you might want something to drink.”
Nana took it from Sarah and sipped the cold liquid. “That’s just what I needed. I couldn’t stay inside any longer. My heart is breaking. Do you think you and Hunter will be able to find the killer before—” her hand shook as she placed the glass on the table between them “—before he hurts Alicia?”
“Nana, I sure hope so.” She cleared her throat, hating to tell Nana what she was thinking about the case. “There are some similarities between what happened to me and Terri.”
“You think the same man did it?”
Sarah nodded, swamped again with the feelings that assaulted her when she woke up the morning of her wedding in the same place where Terri’s body had been left.
Her grandmother studied her. “You finally told Hunter?”
“Yes. I had to. What if the guy who raped me has evolved into a rapist-killer?”
“You should have told him years ago. You did nothing wrong. Hunter loved you. He wouldn’t have blamed you.”
“I blame myself. I should have been smarter. My dad was the police chief. I couldn’t tell him either.”
Nana patted Sarah’s hand, grasping the arm of her chair. “You two never had a close relationship.”
“He blames me for my mother’s death when I was born.”
Nana straightened in her chair and twisted toward her. “Why do you say that?”
“He said that to me once when he got mad at me.”
“Then I’m going to have a few words with my son. You had nothing to do with it. Nancy didn’t follow the doctor’s advice about what she should eat or about resting. Her blood pressure was through the roof. It led to complications that caused her death shortly after you were born.”
“He didn’t love me like Rebecca. I was never good enough.”
Nana chuckled. “Honey, you’re doing something he always wanted to do. You’re working for the FBI assigned to big investigations. I know for a fact he’s followed every case you’ve worked.”
Sarah’s jaw dropped. “He has?”
“He’s always telling people about what you’ve been doing. When I arrived, we talked about that case out in California and how your profile helped the authorities finally catch the man.”
“But not soon enough.”
“Not for the last victim but for all the ones who would have followed her.”
“Dad didn’t say a word to me.”
“He’s not a happy man. He’s had dreams that he never pursued. Your mother never wanted to leave Cimarron City. It was okay if he worked on the police force here but not anywhere else.”
The door opened, drawing Sarah’s attention to Hunter, who came onto the deck, his face sagging with weariness. “Did the neighbors have any security tapes to help you?”
“No. We had cars going up and down the street after midnight but no visible license plate numbers, and other than, at most, a partial description of the vehicles, nothing else was there to help us. In some of the tapes we reviewed, the dark shadows of the trees made it hard to tell anything of value. A very long shot.”
“How many neighbors had security cameras?” Sarah asked.
“Four. Three of them at one end of the street. The fourth one was next door to your dad. Mr. and Mrs. Overstreet’s camera was broken. They didn’t even realize it.”
“Which means the person could have used the other end to come and go.”
Nana pushed herself to her feet. “I’m going to check on Rebecca and Mark.”
Before Sarah could say anything or get up to go in with her, her grandmother scurried across the deck toward the back door. Lately, with her vision failing, Nana rarely moved that fast. Hunter helped Nana inside then turned back toward Sarah and covered the distance between them. He eased into the chair where her grandmother had sat. Too close for her peace of mind. She wished any other police officer was working on her niece’s case besides Hunter. His presence played havoc with her emotions, already in turmoil because of Alicia.
“At least Max confirmed the shoeprint by the patio was probably the kidnapper’s. But I have more questions. Max followed two trails—one to the middle of the street and the other from the back of the property. It ended up in the park behind their yard.”
“How about the gum I found?”
“It definitely could be a piece of evidence in Alicia’s kidnapping. It was found near the path Max took to the park. I’ve put a rush on getting DNA from it.”
“It could just belong to a kid who cut across this property. As you said earlier, it probably won’t help until we arrest the killer.” She massaged her fingertips into her temple, trying to relieve her throbbing headache. “Did the kidnapper come in one way and go out another? Why would he do that?”
“I wish I could answer that. We need to dig into Terri’s case. We confirmed she was raped recently, but there was no semen. In fact, there was little evidence found on her body other than blue fibers, possibly from a rug. Nothing to give us a DNA sample or latent prints. This person has been very careful.”
“So, no other physical evidence?”
“We aren’t even sure where she was taken. We found her car parked at a bar outside of town. A couple of people who worked there recognized her. They said she usually came in every Friday night alone, but usually she left with a guy, except the night she disappeared. She was by herself.”
Sarah sipped her tea. If she could keep her focus on the case, she would be all right with Hunter. Her professional mode fell into place. “Who did she talk to while there?”
“She danced and talked to two men according to the bartender: Brady Connors and Joe McNeil. Both were regulars. Joe stayed until the bar closed at two. Brady walked out an hour before Terri. He has an alibi. He was at his fiancée’s place.”
“Could she be lying for him?”
“His fiancée is Officer Angel Harris. She has an excellent record. Plus, his car was picked up on two traffic cams heading to her place.”
“I’d like to talk to both men, not that I question what you’re doing.” She gave him a small smile. “I’ll be going over everything having to do with Terri’s case. Any connection to Alicia? Do they look like each other?”
“A casual connection. They both attended Cimarron City College but didn’t have any classes together. I checked that earlier. Terri had blond hair but was several inches taller than Alicia, so I don’t know if those physical traits mean anything.” Hunter stared at her for a long moment as though trying to figure her out. “You never indicated you were interested in law enforcement while we were dating.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Did what happen to you change your mind?”
“No, but I had a close friend in college who was murdered. They never found the killer. I hated not knowing what happened to Mindy. Her parents were devastated. I felt helpless when I was with them. I wanted to help so much but had no idea how. My last semester I decided to go into law enforcement.”
“That’s a far cry from becoming a teacher.”
“When I returned to college after I left here, I changed my major from education to psychology. After taking several classes in that area, the subject, what makes people tick, fascinated me.”
Hunter grinned. “I’m still trying to figure that one out.”
Darkness had crept across the yard, a light by the door the only illumination. She’d barely seen his grin, the first one since they’d been together today. “I don’t have it all figured out, but it helped me when I counseled at a clinic while finishing my doctorate in psychology.”
“You’ve been with the FBI for five years. What law enforcement job did you have before that?”
“None. I’ve only worked for the FBI.”
“You didn’t get your doctorate until you were twenty-nine?”
Sarah sucked in a deep breath and held it until her lungs began to burn. “I had to make a living while I was going to school.”
“Did you work with children? I know how much you enjoyed being in the church nursery.”
“No. I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
This was as good a time to tell him what she’d left out about her past. “Because when I lost my child, I needed something different. I worked at the college.”
Hunter didn’t say a word for a long moment. Then he slowly rose. “I need to go back inside. I don’t think you should stay out here by yourself.”
“I can take care of myself,” she replied, her voice tight, although she realized the wisdom in his remark. Anger nibbled at her composure. He didn’t respond to what she’d said about having a child, but his silence said it all.
“Not if someone’s pointing a gun at you right now.” He stood in front of her as if he were protecting her from a gunman.
She shot to her feet. “Why aren’t you asking me about my child? Usually police detectives are curious and ask a lot of questions, but not you.” Her wrath grew and took over.
“It’s none of my business and has no bearing on this case.”
“There’s a chance it does if the man who raped me all those years ago killed Terri.”
He stepped closer, his face in the shadows. “How?”
“I had a child from the rape. My son died six years ago with juvenile Huntington’s Disease, a genetic disorder passed on by one parent. That parent wasn’t me, so it must be the man who raped me.”
Hunter leaned back against the railing, gripping it on each side. “Did you have a test to see if you had the gene?”
“Yes, when I could afford it. You know, I always wanted my own children, and I loved David while he was with me. If I had the gene, there was a fifty percent chance it would be passed onto him. I needed to know that. David had the juvenile type, which progresses differently and faster than the adult version. I thought I would have more years with him, but I didn’t. He died from complications.”
“So, the man who raped you must have the gene. Will he get Huntington’s Disease?”
“He has a fifty-fifty chance like David. He might not know he’s a carrier and could possibly get it.”
He pushed off the railing. “You’ve been looking for the man who raped you, haven’t you?”
She nodded. “I work as many rape cases for the FBI as I can. That’s become my specialty. My most recent one was the Rocky Mountain rapist. He didn’t kill his victims, but he left them devastated and living in fear he would return. I can profile the perpetrator, but I also know what each woman endured. He was caught because I could think like him and figure out his next prey. That’s the way he thought of them. He was the predator; they were his game.”
When Hunter moved into her personal space, she tensed. But when his hands lightly touched her upper arms, she relaxed, transfixed by the compassion in his eyes as he stared at her. “I wish you had told me what happened to you. You shouldn’t have gone through all of that alone.”
“Nana knew. I moved in with her, and she was there to help me recover.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t think I would understand and support you. I loved you. You should have had faith in our love.”
He was right. “I was nineteen years old, and everything in my world came crashing down on me. I reacted. I didn’t think. I couldn’t tell my dad what happened. He would have blamed me. All I was thinking about was Dad’s blame and getting as far away from Cimarron City as I could.”
“Your father would have searched for the rapist and made him pay for what he did.”
“And everyone would have known. All I wanted to do was hide. Nana gave me a safe haven. I was a mess, and you didn’t need to deal with that.”
His hands slipped down her arms and away from her. “A lasting love weathers the good and bad together. Obviously, ours wasn’t strong enough.” He strode to the back door and turned toward her. “Rebecca needs you.” He remained where he was, waiting for her.
Her leaving him at the altar was bad enough, but their conversation had made it even worse.
* * *
In the rec room on the lower level of his police chief’s house, Hunter stuck a photo of Terri and Alicia on the whiteboard and hoped these women would be the perpetrator’s only two victims. He still had a chance to find Alicia before she ended up like Terri if the killer kept to the same timetable. But there was no guarantee of that, which meant time was crucial in saving Sarah’s niece.
In a column down the middle he listed what Terri and Alicia had in common. He would start at the Cimarron City College. Both women lived off campus. Did that have anything to do with why they were picked? Easier to get to them rather than at a dorm? Possibly, but this man came into the home of the police chief to take Alicia’s clothes. Why risk that? What did he take from their homes?
Pain gripped his shoulders as he stared at the nearly blank whiteboard. Its emptiness mocked him. If only the police had taken Terri’s disappearance more serious. Hunter kneaded the tightness of his nape, trying to loosen the taut claws digging into his muscles.
“I thought you might want a cup of coffee.”
Deep in thought, Hunter hadn’t heard Sarah’s approach. He whirled around and faced her across the room. “How long have you been there?”
“Long enough to tell you to either drink a pot of coffee or go home and get some sleep.” She approached him and held out a mug.
“I can’t leave or sleep.” He took the coffee and sipped it. “I should know more about Terri’s disappearance after ten days, but the police didn’t get involved until later, so there’s not much evidence.”
“Were you working on her case before today?”
“Not much. Just assisting when Mark asked. He assigned it to me when her body was found this morning. She wasn’t reported missing until after a few days. We’re not even sure exactly when she was taken.”
“The time between the abductions could be shorter?”
“Yes, seven or eight days.” He half sat and half leaned against the pool table in the middle of the rec room.
Sarah moved to stand near him as he stared at the whiteboard. “Then we’ll be living on coffee for the next week.”
Hunter slid a look at her. We. It hadn’t been that in years. When he’d talked with her earlier in the evening, he hadn’t thought he could be hurt by Sarah anymore. He discovered she hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him about her rape, and instead, ran away. “Why were you against having the command center here?”
“I didn’t want Rebecca to be constantly exposed to all the information during the day. If it had been in the dining room as Mark said, there would be no way for her to avoid seeing what we find.”
“Then why not your dad’s suggestion about using his house?”
“That’s for my peace of mind. I couldn’t work knowing he’d be there critiquing everything I do, so I came up with this idea. Rebecca can move about her house without seeing any of this. People can come and go by the back door on this level, but it’s nearby so that Mark can drop in anytime.”
“Do you and your dad talk much?”
She shook her head.
“Why not?”
“Our relationship has only worsened over the years.”
“Maybe he feels like I do. You didn’t give him a chance fifteen years ago with the truth.”
Sarah sucked in a deep breath. “You’re still very straightforward. That hasn’t changed.”
“I’m still the man you fell in love with. I haven’t changed much.”
“But I have.” She shifted toward him until they were looking at each other head-on. “Can we make this partnership work?”
“There’s no choice here. I’ll do everything I can to bring Alicia home safely.”
“I agree. I can’t lose her like I did my son.”
That should have been his son. He’d wanted several children, and when Sarah had left him, that dream slowly dissipated over time. Now he would find a way to work with her and keep himself emotionally removed from her. With Your help, Lord.