Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
dani
I stared at the police station from my spot on the sidewalk.
My impatience flared as I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets.
Harry still had someone posted at both doors, making sure the crime scene wasn’t touched.
I didn’t know what else he thought we’d find.
We’d been in there almost every day for a week and collected all the evidence we could—which wasn’t much.
No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get a moment alone with Natalie’s computer.
If Harry wasn’t there, then one of his men were.
My fingers curled around my new pocketknife.
It wasn’t as nice as the previous two blades I had, but the selection at the hardware store wasn’t exactly great.
The old man was less than pleased to see me at his store again, buying his best knives.
According to him, I should have left the weapons for the real hunters in this town.
“Hey.”
I turned to see Riggs striding toward me. His long hair was down, and he had a winter cap covering his ears. His jacket was the same one he always wore, and I couldn’t help but wonder how long he scrubbed it to get the blood out. If I looked closely, I could still spot the light stains.
“The whole town is still talking about what happened.” His eyes drifted to the police station. “You doing okay?”
I gave him a small smile as I studied him.
In my mind, every person in this town was a suspect.
Even though I’d spoken to Riggs on multiple occasions, it didn’t mean I trusted him.
His reaction to finding the blood in the forest had seemed genuine.
But he was also one of the few people who knew I’d bought knives.
The murderer knew I had weapons that night.
Riggs’s alibi was solid. He had been at Kole’s bar playing pool with several witnesses to prove that.
“I’m fine,” I answered. “I just want to find the person responsible for this nightmare. Working out of the clinic has been tough. It’ll be easier once we’re back in the station.”
He chuckled. “You don’t know Harry very well, do you?”
“What does that mean?”
“The man is superstitious as hell.” He offered me a cigarette, lighting one after I declined. “He isn’t going to want to work in a building where someone was murdered. I’m guessing he’s been giving excuses as to why he’s keeping the station closed?”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “That makes sense. We collected evidence days ago.”
Great. All I needed was ten minutes alone with Natalie’s computer, but this new information proved that Harry was going to make that difficult. He couldn’t keep the station closed forever, could he?
I began walking, not saying a word when Riggs remained beside me, smoking his cigarette. We passed a few people who were heading to the factory for their shift, reminding me I needed to find out more about that building too. It was far too secretive to be a damn box factory.
“So,” he drawled, blowing out a cloud of dark smoke, “what’s going on between you and Kole?”
That was a great question. Seeing as he was in my bed every night, giving me a nightmare free sleep, it was more than just sex like it had started out.
Whatever it was—it would never last. A relationship was about honesty, and I could never give that to Kole.
But the selfish part of me never wanted this internship to end.
I liked falling asleep in his arms and didn’t want to lose it.
“We’re roommates,” I said with a shrug. “And friends.”
“Friends,” he echoed, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. “In the years I’ve known Kole, he’s never had a friend like you.”
“I think that answers your question, doesn’t it?” a feminine voice spoke up from behind us.
Riggs rolled his eyes when Adella appeared beside him. “What are you doing up this early?”
She grinned. “I could ask you the same thing. Don’t you work mid-shift at the factory?”
“I switched shifts this week.”
I eyed them curiously as the tension thickened. There was friction between them. Nothing sexual…but there was something. We headed for the café in silence, the only sound was our boots crunching on the ground.
“How is Miles?” Adella asked, breaking the awkward quiet.
“Better,” I answered. “Still healing. He left the clinic a couple days ago. He should make a full recovery.”
“That’s good. I’m not sure how many more murders this town can handle.” She shook her head. “Any new leads?”
“No.” I sighed. “Whoever he is, he didn’t leave any evidence behind.”
“You’re positive it’s a guy?”
Riggs scoffed at Adella’s question. “You think a woman is running around on a murdering spree? You know how rare that is?”
Her eyes flashed in annoyance. “It’s not rare. It’s just not as common.”
My stomach twisted anxiously as they bickered.
The thought of the killer being a woman had been fleeting.
Once I saw how he threw Miles into the wall the night at the police station, I was positive it was a man.
But Adella was right. I’d already killed once since moving here.
Something no one would ever suspect me of.
“Statistically, when women murder it’s someone they know. A crime of passion,” I recited what I learned in my psychology classes. “Men are more likely to kill strangers. They are also the vast majority of serial killers.”
Riggs stumbled a step. “Serial killer?”
I nodded. “If this person kills one more, that’s what we’ll be dealing with.”
“Unless he killed Lucas,” Adella murmured. “Then he’s already at three. I mean, you really think he just walked off a cliff?”
I kept my face passive as they spoke about the murder I committed.
My heart rate stayed even as I inhaled slow breaths.
I’d taught myself years ago how to stay calm when my crimes were talked about.
There was no evidence linking me to it, which meant I had no reason to worry.
The only thing I had was Lucas’s pocketknife which was a generic one with no identifying markers.
Unless someone rummaged through the back of my closet, it would stay in its hiding place.
Riggs stubbed his cigarette out on the side of the trash can before dropping it in. “The only people who are sad about that fucker’s death is Tristin and his little group of friends. Lucas was a nasty piece of work. This town is better off without him.”
“Look.” Adella snagged my arm, pulling me closer. “Who is that?”
We peered through the café window, the three bodies at the register catching my attention immediately.
Their backs were turned toward us, and I stared at the two men who were wearing blue suits.
Their long jackets were folded over their arms as they ordered.
A woman was standing next to them, wearing long slacks with heeled black boots.
Her coat was thick, and she had a pair of leather gloves in one hand.
“I’m guessing they aren’t locals here,” I muttered, noticing Adella and Riggs staring at them in shock.
“Definitely not from here,” Adella confirmed under her breath.
“Interns, maybe?”
Riggs answered my question with a shake of his head. “Only one bus of interns every year or two.”
Hallie handed them each a hot coffee in a to-go cup. “Maybe the FBI is finally getting involved because of the murders.”
Riggs glanced at me, a frown on his lips. “Harry would never call for help.”
“Why?” I tossed back. “These weren’t some accidental deaths. There is someone trying to terrorize this town. When things like this happen, things escalate.”
Their silence made my suspicions soar. What the hell was wrong with this town? Before I could voice my questions, the three strangers exited the café, striding past us without so much as a glance our way.
“Well, I guess I’ll find out if they’re here for the murders if they show up at the clinic to talk to Harry.” I pulled open the café door. “I need a large coffee to survive today.”
“You and Kole staying up late together?” Adella asked, her voice teasing. “He’s been coming into work tired. And I’ve noticed I’m on schedule for more night shifts than usual.”
My cheeks flushed, and I walked into the café without looking at her. “We’re just roommates, Adella. What Kole does in his spare time is his business.”
Riggs didn’t say a word when she giggled from behind me.
Hallie gave me a bright smile, already moving to make my usual order.
Kole was tired from spending time in my bed every night.
We weren’t even having sex. He was letting me sleep.
Blissful, uninterrupted sleep. When he was in bed with me, I wasn’t terrorized from my past.
Sure, the nightmares were still present, but not as often.
For the first time in years, I slept longer than three hours.
The last few days had been the best sleep I’d had ever since my attack.
When the nightmares came, Kole chased them away with his soft touch.
His gentle voice. In the morning, he never asked what was haunting me. He didn’t pry or question anything.
I was already growing accustomed to it. Which was a problem.
“Morning,” Hallie greeted us, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Who was that?” Adella asked as she pulled off her scarf.
Hallie’s smile faltered slightly. “I don’t know. Ordered coffee and that was it. They weren’t very friendly though.”
Adella’s gaze slid to me. “If they’re at the clinic, I expect a detailed report when you come to the bar tonight.”
I scoffed. “I’m not going to contribute to the rumor mill. If they’re here for official police business, I won’t be able to say anything anyway.”
“Fine. No more free drinks for you.” The twinkle in her eyes proved she was messing with me.
Hallie handed me my hot coffee, and I paid her before wandering closer to the window. I still had a half hour before I was supposed to meet Harry at the clinic but now wanted to get there early to see if the newcomers would be there.
“Looks like shift is about to start,” Hallie commented, as she looked out the window. “More than a few are going to be late. Half of them usually come in for coffee.”
I followed her gaze, watching the twenty or so men rush down the street. From what Harry told me, over two hundred men and women worked at the factory. It was almost half the town. It was what kept this place going, according to him.
A face caught my attention across the street, and I shifted to see past the crowd of men.
The man seemed to be staring my way, leaning against the brick side wall of the grocery store, half covered in shadows.
I narrowed my gaze, my heart beginning to race.
His long brown hair made memories flash before my eyes, and I stumbled back a step.
Shaking my head, I caught sight of him again, this time his vile smile pointed right at me.