Chapter Three Bradley #4
“Captain wants us to swing by Maggie Deloitte’s house. Her parents have something for us.” I filled her in as we headed out. “And heads up, they’re carrying a lot of anger, given she’s the second victim.”
“Understandable.” She hesitated when she saw my car.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I caught her smile in the mirror as she slipped inside. “Nice.”
The hum of my car was entirely too quiet for two people who shared a past like we did.
One moment I was watching the red light, and the next I was back at the river holding Bree’s hand, staring down a killer.
It still burned me that the Barbed Wire Killer was never found and that he probably had more victims out there.
But more than anything, it drove me crazy that he let us go.
Why spare us and not those two innocent women he murdered?
“It’s green.” Bree pointed to the light, and I shook my thoughts clear.
Bree was thorough as we met with Maggie Deloitte’s parents.
They walked us through some ex-boyfriends and a coworker she seemed to have a beef with.
Bree snapped her photos, and once she got what she felt was all they could give, she thanked them and reassured them they’d hear the moment we had anything.
I didn’t speak much; she had an easier way with people, and, apparently, I was intimidating. We headed back to the car.
“Want to go get your truck, or do you want a ride home?” I glanced at her in my front seat as she studied a photo. When she didn’t answer, I made the decision for her and headed for her place.
“Why did these murders happen? On paper Shelly’s boyfriend, Oliver, seemed wonderful, and Maggie’s ex-boyfriend appeared to be fine with the split.
They both seemed like level-headed guys.
Even Shelly’s coworker moved on to a different company and sounded fine about it.
According to her family, Maggie was a nice young woman with a good job, good friends, yet she died in the public parking lot of a nightclub.
It just feels so unnecessary. Neither of them was robbed or assaulted.
The whole thing just seems off.” She sighed, then looked at me. “You’re quiet.”
“You’re me two weeks ago.” I shrugged. “I’ve run through every detail you are. I’ve come up with zilch. No clue as to the killer or motive.”
She frowned.
“Don’t worry, something will show itself in time.”
“Mm-hmm. Gotta love the waiting game.” She chewed on her pen cap. “So how pissed were you today when you saw me?” She grinned, but it didn’t last long.
“I wasn’t pissed.”
“Yes, you were.” She called me out. “You never forgave me for leaving when I did and not going to your wedding.”
I felt the lash of that old scar. “I wasn’t pissed that you missed my wedding—I was pissed that you left without a word and just disappeared.
Yes, I was just shocked to see you standing in front of me.
The captain didn’t share his plan with me, and from the look on your face when you saw me, I take it he didn’t with you either. ”
“Nope.” She puffed her cheeks out. “He specifically told me you were over in Rochester. I took that to mean you had transferred. Clearly, I misunderstood.”
I grunted when I realized what Cap had done. “I was in Rochester but visiting a friend for two days. He’s tricky like that.”
“And my being here, stepping in on the case, is that going to be a problem for you?”
I flicked my finger on the signal light before I crossed traffic and eased into the far-left lane.
“I’m confident enough at this stage of my career to admit when we need another set of eyes on a case.
I’m fine with us working together, but you should know that I don’t bend the rules for anyone, so whatever happens during your stay here is on you.
Just be sure whatever you do find, we can use it in court. ”
“Understood.” She didn’t miss a beat, and the awkward silence settled between us again. Thankfully, I had just pulled into her driveway, but then a rush of memories flooded me from back when we were in high school together.
“I appreciate the drive home.” She gathered her things and opened the door. “I’ll drive myself home tomorrow, so you don’t need to put yourself out.”
She wasn’t putting me out. “I’ll text an hour before I leave in the morning.”
“Okay. See you then.”
“All right.” I waited for her to shut the door so I was concealed behind the tinted windows.
I tipped my head back and took my first real breath of the day.
Everything inside me had jolted alive at her familiar perfume.
It lingered in the car and sent my memory back to when I first met Bree in Spanish class.
Her beautiful smile had lit up the room, and when her gaze had found mine, her eyes had done this twinkling thing that had made my stomach flip.
I’d kept Bree at arm’s length after things took a bad turn that afternoon by the river. I’d pushed any thought of her away and hung on to the one constant thing in my life—Sherry Cummings.
“Stop.” I slapped the heel of my palm against my eyes in a bad attempt to stop my spiral. I slammed the car into reverse and headed home.