without even realizing it.”
“I don’t think Brenda would use it against her,” Nick said.
Jake’s brows arched. “You’re defending Brenda?”
“No.” Was he? Nick chewed the inside of his cheek. “That’s not the point. Where was Amelia the night of the murder?”
Jake hesitated, making Nick’s nerves jump.
“She still didn’t say. But she claims she’s never been to the Slaughter Creek Motel.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I don’t know.” Jake exhaled. “But I don’t think she’s our killer.”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “One of her alters might be. Just think about it. Viola picks up Logger in a bar, lures him back to the motel. Then things get out of hand, and Skid takes over and finishes the man.”
“It’s possible, I guess,” Jake said. “Although Amelia appears to be getting better, to be merging her alters. And this killer…she seems organized, as if she planned the murder. She’s certainly covering her tracks well. Amelia is too emotional and erratic to do that.”
He was right. The unsub had left no prints, no clothing behind, not even a condom. She’d stayed out of sight of the manager, and left without anyone knowing.
Plus she’d sent that cryptic text to Brenda.
“That’s true,” Nick said. “And we can’t forget the number she carved behind the vic’s ear. That suggests she’s going to kill again.”
Worry lined his brother’s face. “We have to find her before she does.”
Brenda checked her watch again as she left the apartment. Too bad Nick and his brother were throwing their weight around and wouldn’t let her tag along with them.
Although she
did
know the name of that trucking company. She didn’t need their permission to have a conversation with the owner.
Decision made, she jogged toward her car, but when she spotted a blond woman parking three doors down from Logger’s unit, she veered toward her.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” she said as she approached her. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
The blonde tucked her briefcase under her arm, then shoved her sunglasses onto the top of her head. Her eye shadow, which was a little too heavy, matched her startling green eyes. “If you’re selling something, I’m not interested.”
Brenda bit back a retort. Funny, since judging from the Mary Kay bag over the blonde’s shoulder, she was a salesgirl herself. The name tag on her pink jacket read “Susie.”
“I’m not selling anything. My name is Brenda Banks—”
Recognition dawned, and the blonde’s frown morphed into a smile. “Oh, right, I recognize you from the news. What’s going on?”
“Did you know Jim Logger, the man who lived in unit 112B?”
Susie hoisted her sample bag from the seat, then locked the car and picked her way over the ruts in the sidewalk. “Not really. I saw him coming and going a few times.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“He helped me carry some groceries in once when it was raining, but we didn’t talk about anything personal. Why?”
“He was murdered.”
Susie pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh, my God, what happened? Was he killed in his apartment?”
“No. At a motel.” Brenda fidgeted. Nick would never speak to her again if she revealed details. “The police are investigating. They’re searching his apartment now.”
Susie started toward the building, her stilettos catching in the broken cement. “Well, I’m sorry to hear about his death. I hope they find the killer.”
Brenda walked beside her. “Did he have a girlfriend?”
“Like I said, I didn’t really know him.”
“Did you see a woman with him?”
Susie paused, shaking her shoe loose from where it had caught in the cracks. “Maybe a redhead once. Oh, and another time a blonde. Then two brunettes in one night.”
“Ahh, he was a ladies’ man.”
She resumed walking. “I guess you could say that, but something about him…He gave me the creeps.”
“What do you mean?”
“He seemed disturbed, angry all the time. I
“I don’t think Brenda would use it against her,” Nick said.
Jake’s brows arched. “You’re defending Brenda?”
“No.” Was he? Nick chewed the inside of his cheek. “That’s not the point. Where was Amelia the night of the murder?”
Jake hesitated, making Nick’s nerves jump.
“She still didn’t say. But she claims she’s never been to the Slaughter Creek Motel.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I don’t know.” Jake exhaled. “But I don’t think she’s our killer.”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “One of her alters might be. Just think about it. Viola picks up Logger in a bar, lures him back to the motel. Then things get out of hand, and Skid takes over and finishes the man.”
“It’s possible, I guess,” Jake said. “Although Amelia appears to be getting better, to be merging her alters. And this killer…she seems organized, as if she planned the murder. She’s certainly covering her tracks well. Amelia is too emotional and erratic to do that.”
He was right. The unsub had left no prints, no clothing behind, not even a condom. She’d stayed out of sight of the manager, and left without anyone knowing.
Plus she’d sent that cryptic text to Brenda.
“That’s true,” Nick said. “And we can’t forget the number she carved behind the vic’s ear. That suggests she’s going to kill again.”
Worry lined his brother’s face. “We have to find her before she does.”
Brenda checked her watch again as she left the apartment. Too bad Nick and his brother were throwing their weight around and wouldn’t let her tag along with them.
Although she
did
know the name of that trucking company. She didn’t need their permission to have a conversation with the owner.
Decision made, she jogged toward her car, but when she spotted a blond woman parking three doors down from Logger’s unit, she veered toward her.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” she said as she approached her. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
The blonde tucked her briefcase under her arm, then shoved her sunglasses onto the top of her head. Her eye shadow, which was a little too heavy, matched her startling green eyes. “If you’re selling something, I’m not interested.”
Brenda bit back a retort. Funny, since judging from the Mary Kay bag over the blonde’s shoulder, she was a salesgirl herself. The name tag on her pink jacket read “Susie.”
“I’m not selling anything. My name is Brenda Banks—”
Recognition dawned, and the blonde’s frown morphed into a smile. “Oh, right, I recognize you from the news. What’s going on?”
“Did you know Jim Logger, the man who lived in unit 112B?”
Susie hoisted her sample bag from the seat, then locked the car and picked her way over the ruts in the sidewalk. “Not really. I saw him coming and going a few times.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“He helped me carry some groceries in once when it was raining, but we didn’t talk about anything personal. Why?”
“He was murdered.”
Susie pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh, my God, what happened? Was he killed in his apartment?”
“No. At a motel.” Brenda fidgeted. Nick would never speak to her again if she revealed details. “The police are investigating. They’re searching his apartment now.”
Susie started toward the building, her stilettos catching in the broken cement. “Well, I’m sorry to hear about his death. I hope they find the killer.”
Brenda walked beside her. “Did he have a girlfriend?”
“Like I said, I didn’t really know him.”
“Did you see a woman with him?”
Susie paused, shaking her shoe loose from where it had caught in the cracks. “Maybe a redhead once. Oh, and another time a blonde. Then two brunettes in one night.”
“Ahh, he was a ladies’ man.”
She resumed walking. “I guess you could say that, but something about him…He gave me the creeps.”
“What do you mean?”
“He seemed disturbed, angry all the time. I
Similar Books
