Chapter 26
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
Wyatt turned the floor over to Detective Sullenger to recap for the benefit of Detective Ferguson of Hattiesburg PD and Detective Cummings from Wiggins.
“The two victims share a few characteristics,” Sullenger began. “Both in their thirties, blond hair, blue eyes. Petite, though Arnold is a couple inches taller than Prescott. Other than being career-oriented women, that’s where the similarities end.”
“Detective Cooper,” Wyatt added, “fits that somewhat ambiguous profile and, according to the messages she has received from the perp, she is his current focus.”
At the other end of the table, Addy met Wyatt’s gaze but quickly looked away.
He was pretty sure she’d purposely chosen to sit as far away from him as possible.
What they’d shared this morning only appeared to have put more distance between them.
As soon as they’d rolled out of bed, she’d mentally taken several giant steps back.
Something they would both have to deal with eventually whether she wanted to or not.
“And that’s it?” Detective Cummings said, obviously frustrated. “Two women are missing and there’s no evidence. No nothing. Two crime scenes, a dozen cops and techs, and this is it?”
The two letters sent by the perp to Arnold had been discovered in a drawer in her bedroom.
There was no way to know when or how she had received them.
Her husband hadn’t seen the letters. Forensics had confirmed the letters were a match to both the ones Prescott had received as well as those sent to Addy.
Those knots of dread he’d been ignoring clenched hard in Wyatt’s gut. How could they have two victims and not a single shred of usable evidence?
Womack nodded. “Unfortunately.” He picked up one of the numerous documents he’d brought to the conference table.
“According to the cell carrier report your office faxed over, the call Penny Arnold received early yesterday morning came from the pay phone at a convenience store on Highway 29 just outside Wiggins.”
“That’s right.” Cummings slid a pair of reading glasses into place and looked over a report from the file in front of him.
“As far as we can tell there’s not a single connection between the two vics.
Arnold’s husband is certain his wife didn’t know Prescott.
He wasn’t even aware Prescott was missing.
” Cummings lifted his gaze to those seated around the table once more.
“His wife had been out of town, and with watching the kids, the laundry and meals, he said he’d had no time to catch up on the news. ”
“Was Penny afraid of the water?”
Wyatt’s attention shot down the table to Addy. He hadn’t brought that up. He’d hoped to discuss that privately with Cummings, but the man hadn’t arrived until the rest of the group was already assembled.
Cummings drew his eyebrows together in a frown. “That hasn’t come up in the interviews.” He looked from Addy to Wyatt. “Is that relevant somehow?”
“Cherry Prescott,” Ferguson put in, “only a few weeks before her disappearance related certain fears to her closest friends. Fears she hadn’t experienced in the past. Drowning was one of them.”
True to the family’s requests, Ferguson had veered away from specifics.
They were way past protecting anyone’s image at this point.
Wyatt clarified, “She’d started having dreams of drowning her daughter.
We’ve considered the possibility that she disappeared in some sort of desperate attempt to protect her child. ”
Cummings looked totally bewildered now. “You’re saying there’s some chance she wasn’t a victim? That she just ran off? What about the letters?”
“That is absolutely not what we’re saying.” Ferguson blasted the point. “We don’t believe that any more than you believe Ms. Arnold stayed in Phoenix an extra day to carry on an illicit affair. Even if there was some question, the letters undeniably connect the disappearances.”
“In light of Arnold’s disappearance,” Wyatt intervened, “and the continued threat to Detective Cooper, the possibility that Prescott disappeared of her own accord is no longer a viable scenario.”
“It was never,” Ferguson pressed, “a viable scenario.” Wyatt conceded to the detective’s assertion with a nod. This case made maintaining objectivity next to impossible. His gaze settled on Addy once more. No one understood that better than him.
“I don’t see the relevance then,” Cummings tossed out. “What does Prescott’s fear of drowning have to do with anything?”
Addy pushed back her chair and got up. She rounded the table and snatched the pack of cigarettes from Womack’s shirt pocket on her way out the door.
“Carry on, Detective Sullenger.” Wyatt got up. He didn’t need to hear the rest of what they didn’t have. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Here,” Womack called after him.
Wyatt turned back to the table. His deputy pitched him a cigarette lighter. “She might need this.”
The frustrated voices in the conference room followed him down the corridor. All present were sick with the idea that there was not a single piece of evidence that provided any hint whatsoever to the perp or his motive. Not a damned thing to lead them anywhere.
How the hell were they supposed to stop this guy if they couldn’t find a damned link between the victims much less to him? A pained laugh erupted from his chest. Hell, they even knew the identity of the next victim and they still couldn’t do shit except wait for the bastard to act.
Wyatt passed through the lobby, disgusted with the cheery Christmas decorations. There wasn’t a damned thing to be happy or festive about. He couldn’t remember having such a screwed-up holiday . . . not since the first one after she left.
Then again, as bad as this one was, at least she was here.
His chest tightened at the idea that she would be leaving again. There was nothing he could say or do to stop her.
She had a life six and a half hours north of here.
The distance felt like another universe away . . . for him it was exactly that.
Addy stood on the sidewalk, the unlit cigarette dangling from her lips.
He moved up beside her and offered the lighter. “Womack said you might need this.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to smoke it. I just want to feel it in my mouth.”
Nine years ago Addy had smoked. He’d been surprised that she didn’t now but asking about her decision to quit was out of the question. She’d made it loud and clear that she didn’t want to talk about the past or her current personal life. He seriously doubted this morning had changed her mind.
He tucked the lighter into the pocket of his jeans. “You okay?”
She cut him with a dagger-sharp glare. “Are you out of your mind?” She snatched the cigarette out of her mouth and waved it in the air.
“Some asshole is abducting women without leaving the first clue. He could be anybody. Anywhere!” Her arms went up, then dropped to her sides in a gesture of resignation.
“We don’t know the first thing about him.
The links between the victims are anorexic at best. The perp’s evidently getting off on playing this princess game.
And he claims I’m next. Hell no, I’m not okay, Wyatt.
That’s the dumbest damned question I’ve ever been asked. ”
He tried another tactic. “So you’re scared.”
She sent another of those cutting looks. “I’m not scared!” She pawed at his pocket. “Gimme that damned lighter.”
Sliding two fingers into his pocket, he fished out the lighter and handed it to her.
She lit the tip of the cigarette, sucked in a long, deep drag of smoke.
“I am not afraid.” Her voice croaked with the harsh chemicals filtering through her lungs.
“I’m just frustrated that I can’t catch this bastard and bring those women home before he kills them.
” She turned her face up to Wyatt’s. “Honestly,” she searched his eyes, “I wish he would make a play for me. At least then I could do something besides nothing.”
“That’s it.” Fury mushroomed in his chest. “You should not be working this case.” He moved his head firmly side to side. “I must’ve been out of my mind to let you in this deep in the first place.”
“Like you could’ve stopped me.” She tossed the cigarette to the pavement. “Those women will be dead very soon if they’re not already.”
One dead princess . . .
“I’m aware of that.” The rage drained away, leaving a sense of helplessness that no lawman ever wanted to feel.
“I’m the only connection, remember?” she said, reminding him of his own words. “Letting him take me may be the only way we can break this case.”
“No way.”
She went toe to toe with him. “See.” Accusation flared in her eyes. “This isn’t supposed to be personal, Wyatt. This is an official investigation. I’m not a civilian. Going undercover to nail a perp is a routine operation.”
“There’s a hell of a difference between going undercover and being nabbed by a man who in all likelihood is some sort of psycho.
We have absolutely no reason to believe the vics are still alive.
No way of knowing if either of them lived past the moment of attack.
What the hell good could you do for the case if you’re dead, too? ”
“You need to watch more TV.” She pushed past him, then paused at the door.
“I’m putting you on notice.” Her determined gaze backed up her words.
“We had sex this morning. It changes nothing about the dynamics of this investigation. Don’t even think about going there.
” She jerked the door open but hesitated again, glancing back at him once more.
“Whatever this princess thing is, it ends with me.”
Then she walked in, let the door close behind her.
What the hell was he going to do with her?