went to Mac’s desk. Once again, he forced himself to remain calm. “I need to go take care of something.”
“What is it? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“Nah, it’s just—well, you know Sami, Bryan’s daughter? She didn’t show up for work today. Her boyfriend says their apartment looks trashed, like there might have been a struggle. Her car and phone are still there, but she’s nowhere in sight.”
Mac stood. “Sami, the pretty little thing with the long blonde ponytail?”
Dix froze. His gaze locked with Mac’s and both of them turned to the large evidence board across the room. Four other women with long blonde hair stared back at them with vacant eyes. Those women were all dead. “Oh, my God.” Dix thought he might hyperventilate, too.
“Come on.” Mac shoved him towards the door. “I’ll drive.”
Chapter Six
“I need to call Bryan.” Dix fumbled for his phone as Mac drove to Sami’s address.
“You need to hold up. Let us have a look around, see if we need to call the unis before we go off half-cocked. Hell, she might be home by the time we get there.”
“I hope so.” Thoughts of Bryan’s daughters flitted through his mind. Kayla was nice, but calm and reserved. Sami had spunk and personality to spare. She reminded him of what his own daughter might have been like, had she lived. A tear formed in the corner of his eye and he brushed it away.
Mac glanced at him sideways. “She’s not Julie, Dix. I know you’ve become attached to the kid, but don’t let things get out of control in your mind. She’s not your daughter.”
“I know that,” he snapped, then took a breath. When he spoke again his voice was calm. “But she’s sweet and affectionate and, God help me, she’s starting to feel like one.”
“I know that, too,” Mac said softly. He pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex.
Dix spotted the beer truck taking up several spaces on the end. They climbed out and he led the way. “Apartment three, on the right,” he said.
“Right behind you.”
Dix pulled gloves from his pocket and slipped them on. He nudged open the door to number three and peered in. “Adam?”
He appeared in the doorway. “Thank God you’re here. I’ve been frantic, imagining all kinds of awful things.”
They stepped in cautiously, looking around. “You haven’t thought of any place she could be? Anyone you could call?”
“I phoned her friend Trina, but she’s at work and hasn’t seen Sami for about a week. I couldn’t think of anyone else. She has lots of friends from school, but most of them are gone this week.”
“Yeah.” Dix went in farther. The apartment was small but tidy, until they reached the bedroom. Sheets and a comforter were strewn across, hanging halfway onto the floor.
“Purse and phone here.” Mac pointed to the dresser. He slipped on some latex gloves and picked up the phone. “Last call out was yesterday, to her dad. Ten missed calls today, from him and the boyfriend. No unknown numbers.”
Using two fingers, Dix gently lifted the covers off the bed and peered under them. “Well, shit.” He tossed them back part way. “Blood.”
A small spot, the size of a jagged quarter. He looked at Adam. “You notice if that was there before?”
“It wasn’t. She just did laundry yesterday, including the sheets. I heard all about it last night.”
Dix smiled. “Look at everything I do for you?”
“Yeah, sort of. ‘It’s my vacation and I spent the whole damn day doing laundry’.”
Nodding, Dix glanced at Mac. “We need to get CSI over here. A couple unis to canvass the neighbours.”
“I’ll do that. The call you have to make won’t be so easy.”
He nodded and they went into separate rooms. Dialling Bryan’s cell, he rehearsed his words before the call connected.
“Yeah, Dix? Anything?”
“Bryan, Mac and I are at Sami’s place with Adam. Her car is here, but she’s not. We’ve also got her phone and purse. And a
“What is it? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“Nah, it’s just—well, you know Sami, Bryan’s daughter? She didn’t show up for work today. Her boyfriend says their apartment looks trashed, like there might have been a struggle. Her car and phone are still there, but she’s nowhere in sight.”
Mac stood. “Sami, the pretty little thing with the long blonde ponytail?”
Dix froze. His gaze locked with Mac’s and both of them turned to the large evidence board across the room. Four other women with long blonde hair stared back at them with vacant eyes. Those women were all dead. “Oh, my God.” Dix thought he might hyperventilate, too.
“Come on.” Mac shoved him towards the door. “I’ll drive.”
Chapter Six
“I need to call Bryan.” Dix fumbled for his phone as Mac drove to Sami’s address.
“You need to hold up. Let us have a look around, see if we need to call the unis before we go off half-cocked. Hell, she might be home by the time we get there.”
“I hope so.” Thoughts of Bryan’s daughters flitted through his mind. Kayla was nice, but calm and reserved. Sami had spunk and personality to spare. She reminded him of what his own daughter might have been like, had she lived. A tear formed in the corner of his eye and he brushed it away.
Mac glanced at him sideways. “She’s not Julie, Dix. I know you’ve become attached to the kid, but don’t let things get out of control in your mind. She’s not your daughter.”
“I know that,” he snapped, then took a breath. When he spoke again his voice was calm. “But she’s sweet and affectionate and, God help me, she’s starting to feel like one.”
“I know that, too,” Mac said softly. He pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex.
Dix spotted the beer truck taking up several spaces on the end. They climbed out and he led the way. “Apartment three, on the right,” he said.
“Right behind you.”
Dix pulled gloves from his pocket and slipped them on. He nudged open the door to number three and peered in. “Adam?”
He appeared in the doorway. “Thank God you’re here. I’ve been frantic, imagining all kinds of awful things.”
They stepped in cautiously, looking around. “You haven’t thought of any place she could be? Anyone you could call?”
“I phoned her friend Trina, but she’s at work and hasn’t seen Sami for about a week. I couldn’t think of anyone else. She has lots of friends from school, but most of them are gone this week.”
“Yeah.” Dix went in farther. The apartment was small but tidy, until they reached the bedroom. Sheets and a comforter were strewn across, hanging halfway onto the floor.
“Purse and phone here.” Mac pointed to the dresser. He slipped on some latex gloves and picked up the phone. “Last call out was yesterday, to her dad. Ten missed calls today, from him and the boyfriend. No unknown numbers.”
Using two fingers, Dix gently lifted the covers off the bed and peered under them. “Well, shit.” He tossed them back part way. “Blood.”
A small spot, the size of a jagged quarter. He looked at Adam. “You notice if that was there before?”
“It wasn’t. She just did laundry yesterday, including the sheets. I heard all about it last night.”
Dix smiled. “Look at everything I do for you?”
“Yeah, sort of. ‘It’s my vacation and I spent the whole damn day doing laundry’.”
Nodding, Dix glanced at Mac. “We need to get CSI over here. A couple unis to canvass the neighbours.”
“I’ll do that. The call you have to make won’t be so easy.”
He nodded and they went into separate rooms. Dialling Bryan’s cell, he rehearsed his words before the call connected.
“Yeah, Dix? Anything?”
“Bryan, Mac and I are at Sami’s place with Adam. Her car is here, but she’s not. We’ve also got her phone and purse. And a
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