Prologue
The room was pitch black. She had been there long enough for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and she could see shapes and outlines. Around her ankle was a shackle that was attached to the wall by a three foot steel chain. She knew there was no way to break it, and wasn’t going to waste her strength trying. There were no windows and the only door was on the other side of the room farther than she could reach. No matter that she couldn’t she knew it would be locked. Feeling the bump on her temple, she can’t believe she didn’t see it coming. She had been trained better than this. If this guy didn’t kill her, her father and brother would. Footsteps were coming down the stairs that lead to the door. Laying down, she pretended to still be knocked out. The footsteps stopped at the other side of the door. A small slot opened on the bottom of the door and a tray slid under it over to where she was. A distorted voice called out. “Eat. I don’t want you to die of starvation. Stop pretending to be asleep. I know you are awake.” With that the door closed and the footsteps retreated up the stairs. Realizing the only way he could know she was awake was if he was watching her, she looked towards the ceiling. The shape of a security camera was visible in every corner making it impossible to hide. Her stomach grumbled and she turned toward the tray to see if anything looked edible. The tray contained a bottle of water, and a package of mini-hamburgers that you microwave in the plastic. Both the bottle of water and the hamburger package were unopened. A note was taped to the tray. Eat it. Everything is still wrapped. I didn’t want you to think it was poisoned. Don’t worry I don’t want you dead, yet. Reading that, she opened the burgers and water and smelled them. Not smelling anything funny, she ate burgers and drank the water. Finishing the food, the last part of the note hit her. Whoever kidnapped her was going to eventually kill her. This didn’t surprise her. What surprised her was how much trust she had that Dean would never let that happen.
Ch. 1
A week ago
The body of the woman, Jessica Lane, was strewn over the trail in the woods. The boyfriend found the body during his regular early morning run. Staring at the crime scene, he came up with a few conclusions within seconds. “What do you think?” asked his partner Harrison. What did he think? Mostly, that the life of another beautiful woman was cut short and why they couldn’t catch the murderer. “Same MO as the others. Multiple stab wounds to the heart, lips glued shut, and I am sure the ME will inform us very soon that she was raped. The lack of blood surrounding the body suggests that the body was dumped here where the boyfriend was the most likely person to find her. Exactly the same as it was in the two other murders.” Damn it! When will this dirtbag mess up and leave something that will help us find him. We need to find where these women are being killed. “How is the boyfriend holding up?” Walker said as he gestured toward the man sitting on a rock within the view. “Mr. Parker is very upset. Today was their 18 month anniversary. He had been planning to propose to her at dinner tonight.” Walker turned around to see who the delightful female voice belonged to. “And you are?” he asked the implied question being what the hell are you doing at my crime scene. “Amanda Vancer, and” He cut her off. “Vancer, Any relation to Chief Vancer?” “He’s my father.” Walker immediately saw the resemblance the brilliant red hair, high cheek bones, and nose were all the same. What surprised him were her chocolate brown eyes. Mostly red hair and brown eyes are not seen on the same person without contacts or hair dyes, something to do with chromosomes. However, both her brown eyes and red hair were all natural. He knew this from encounters with her brother Patrick who once explained the red hair was from the chief and the brown eyes from his mother. Patrick always joked that he and Amanda got the best from both sides. Even if he didn’t know Patrick, there was no way that someone who looked so naturally beautiful could have a fake anything. Amanda cocked an eyebrow at him and he realized he had been caught staring. “So the chief is your father, that doesn’t give you permission to barge in and interfere with any crime scene and investigation you want to.” He attempted to regain the power he lost from checking her out. “No, that would not give me permission, but this badge” she said whipping out hers “and the fact that I am the precinct’s new psychologist does. I am doing the psychological profile on your murderer. I was going to start by reviewing the past two murders, but I got a call saying there was another one. The best way I can gather information is to be here.” Staring at the scene in front of her, Amanda got a puzzled look on her face. “The other women were moved postmortem, so that their boyfriends were the ones to find them as well. Correct?” Glancing at the woman then at Amanda, he answered. “Yes, is there really a necessity for you to be at the scene? All the information can be obtained without actually seeing the victims.” “First of all, I am no fragile woman who will faint at the sight of blood or break down at the sight of death. Second, the closer I am to the crimes the better profile I can give and the more likely it will help you catch the bastard.” Pushing him out of her way, she walked over to speak to the medical examiner, and see the rest of the scene.
Carpe Diem,
Tabitha
