BEFORE HIS MEETING with Faye Fallon, Luke fielded an interesting call from the Riverside County Sheriff’s office. He picked Woody up for the drive to the coffee shop, and his friend noticed the grin right off.

“Don’t you look like the cat who ate the canary.”

“Remember our old friend Oscar Cardoza?”

“I do. Been watching the news for any indication they found bodies in his backyard.”

“Well, I don’t know why it hasn’t been on the news, but they did. They found three bodies buried on his property, and he was living off the Social Security of all three dead people.”

Woody arched his eyebrows. “You don’t say. I imagine defrauding Social Security will probably get him more time than the dead guys.”

Luke laughed. “Ah, my cynical friend. We collared a serial killer. I think we might be headed to Riverside to testify when the case finally gets to trial.”

“Humph.”

Laughing at Woody’s stoic disinterest, Luke said, “Anyway, they thanked us profusely for our work out there.”

“They should thank us. We do good work.”

They arrived at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf early. Faye Fallon was meeting her cousin at a restaurant in the Marketplace, close to the coffee shop, so it was the logical spot to meet. The mercurial October weather had turned cold, and they hoped for an inside table. They were in luck. Woody took a seat while Luke stepped up to the counter to order.

He’d just sat down with two coffees when the door opened and she walked in. Luke recognized her because she had a picture posted to her blog. But the picture did her no justice. Faye Fallon was drop-dead gorgeous. Woody let out a low whistle Luke hoped Faye didn’t hear, and heads in the shop turned.

She looked like an actress. Long blonde hair held back in a shiny barrette, perfectly set, she was wearing a pretty dress that accentuated her trim figure. When she headed their way, Luke felt his mouth go dry.

“You must be Luke Murphy,” she said with a bright smile, stepping toward the table.

Luke stood, nearly spilling his coffee. Woody also stood.

“Mrs. Fallon.” Luke held his hand out.

“Please, it’s Faye.” She gripped his hand, then looked at Woody. “You must be the partner.”

For his part, Woody looked much less affected by Fallon than Luke felt.

“That’s me, the sidekick. Nice to meet you, Faye.” Woody shook her hand. “Can I get you something?”

“A small black coffee would be great.”

Woody moved off to purchase the coffee, and Luke and Fallon sat.

“It’s good to be out of the car,” Fallon said.

“That’s right. You had what, a two-hour drive?” He fidgeted, wondering why a beautiful woman could make him feel like a gangly high school kid again.

“Yes. But I’ll be staying over with my cousin, so I don’t have to go back tonight.”

Soon Woody was back with the coffee, and the three began discussing the case.

“We’re in,” Luke said. “The summary hooked us. We want to help solve this case.”

“Thank you so much.” Her smile lit up the whole shop, and for a second all Luke could do was nod and sip his coffee. Briefly he thought of Abby. She was promised to another man; there was nothing to keep Luke from finding out more about this beautiful, dedicated woman sitting across from him.

Woody jumped in. “How did you get involved in doing a, a . . . What do you call it? A crime blog?”

“I’ve always been interested in writing and crime. My husband was planning on joining the sheriff’s department when his enlistment was up.” Sadness marred her features.

Luke found his voice. “So sorry for your loss. That had to be tough.”

“It was —it is —but doing the blog, feeling like I’m helping others who are victimized, helps.”

“I’m not that computer savvy,” Woody said. “How does the blog help?”

“I hope it makes people aware of what’s going on in the community. And I’ve become a kind of liaison with local law enforcement. I blog about crime in the Antelope Valley, trends, and good work done by the SD. I record tips from people who don’t want to talk to the deputies, and from time to time I highlight cold cases. That’s how I met Molly.”

“You met Molly?”

“Yes. Actually I first met her five years ago. I’ve lived in Lake Los Angeles my whole life. I remember when she was kidnapped. So her case was one of the first ones I profiled. I didn’t have much reach then, at least not what I have now, so nothing ever came from it. But seeing the way she’s lost ground in five years, my prayer is that you guys will be able to find the creep who did that to her.”

“How has she lost ground?”

“Well, she was strong five years ago, active in her church, living on her own in Lancaster. She wanted to be an EMT and was in school. Eventually she graduated and went to work for an ambulance company. But as time has passed, she’s been having some problems. PTSD they think.”

Luke nodded. “I know the syndrome. I’ve served with people who are suffering.”

“Yes, I met some of the guys from my husband’s unit who suffered with dreams, flashbacks, sometimes so debilitating they have difficulty functioning.” Her eyes held his for a moment, and Luke felt a connection click into place.

“I can see that you understand,” she continued. “As for Molly, the trauma seemed to drop right back in her lap like a lead ball with the ten-year anniversary. She began to cut herself, trying to re-create the marks on her wrists from the bonds. Then there are the flashbacks, and she wonders, because the guy was never caught, did she imagine the whole thing? At one point a couple days ago she stepped into traffic and was hit by a car. Her leg and wrist were broken. She’s had to take a leave from her job and move back in with her parents in Tehachapi.”

“That sounds bad,” Woody said. “Are you thinking that solving the case will change things for her?”

“I don’t know. That’s my prayer. And I believe that seeing her attacker caught and punished should help.”

“I agree. I bet it will,” Luke said, thoughts now bouncing back to Abby and the Triple Seven. “I’d like to meet her.”

“That’s touchy. I haven’t completely convinced her mother that we aren’t giving her false hope. I’d like you to review the files, develop something, before I bring you to meet Molly. Is that okay?”

“Of course. The last thing we want to do is traumatize her further.”

Luke found himself fervently hoping they could find something new. He knew firsthand what false hope could do to people. He also found himself wanting to spend more time with Faye Fallon, and that kind of surprised him.