how many of them are crying rape.”
Travis blinked, forcing his fists apart. “I’m going pretend you didn’t just say that.” Travis slammed the locker room door, and in a few quick strides, he was outside heading for his truck. Travis knew his sister hadn’t paraded around asking to be raped and killed.
Chapter Six
Shauna lifted the mascara wand to her lashes with a shaking hand. The loneliness she endured on Sunday hadn’t diminished by Monday morning. “Damn it.” She grabbed a tissue and rubbed the blackness from her face, then pumped her fist and forced her hand to relax.
Sunday had been spent doing what she’d always done. Her routine had consisted of a good workout, a hot cup of coffee while reading the paper, and then a long search on the Internet. But while on the computer looking for any kind of clue that could lead her to her attacker, she realized just how pathetic her life had become.
She tossed her eyeliner into her cosmetic bag. Grabbing her purse, she headed out to her car in a huff.
Her heart raced, just as it did at five thirty when she knew Travis would be at her door for their morning jog. He and his family had dulled her feelings of isolation for a short period of time. Until this past weekend, she hadn’t known how lonely she’d been.
The sun shone strong in the dark blue morning sky as the birds chirped in the cool spring air. She dug deep in her purse, eyes on nothing but her fingers searching for her keys.
Someone grabbed her arm.
Instinctively, she reached for her weapon and prepared to defend herself.
“Relax.” She heard Travis’s smooth voice. It sent warm shivers down her spine.
“You scared me.”
“Sorry.” He guided her across the street to where his truck was parked. “Get in. We got another one.”
The blood in her body froze. “What do you mean?”
“Hotel downtown. Fifteen year-old. Missing two days.” He opened the door for her and touched her arm. “There’s a note.”
“That’s new.” She coughed, unable to concentrate on anything other than the pounding of her heart against her chest.
Moments later, she followed Travis into the despicable old hotel. Streetwalkers paced the hallways, yelling at the police that they were being harassed. The air was thick and stuffy with the pungent stench of five-day-old whiskey breath and rotten eggs.
“Here.” He handed her a pair of latex gloves. Snapping them in place, she prayed her breakfast would stay in her stomach.
Travis turned and looked over his shoulder. “You ready?”
She nodded and held her stomach. This could still be her fate, if she didn’t watch her back. A strong sensation of someone being behind her made her body stiffen and jerk, but she resisted the urge to glance over shoulder.
She could still hear the killer’s words echoing in her ears. He told her that after death he would take care of her. Make sure that God was willing to accept her because she hadn’t sinned.
Hugging herself as her stomach hit her throat, she swallowed. She could taste the bile burning her esophagus.
“Glad you could make it,” a familiar voice said.
“Can’t say I’m thrilled. Hutchensen, you remember my new partner?”
“Sure do.”
“Good to see you again.” She stood still and scanned the room as her eyes watered from the rancid stench. Her head spun and spots flickered about in front of her eyes. She tried to remove herself as best she could as her gaze followed Travis. He looked everywhere but at the body and talked to no one. Then he moved to the foot of the bed.
A faint gasp escaped her mouth. The body laid face up, eyes closed, and the smell of antiseptic filtering through Shauna’s nose couldn’t douse the aroma of death.
Nothing could kill that scent. It was a smell that lingered with you, stuck to you like a bad cigar. Her skin prickled as she felt death cling to her body, almost like it was trying to take her.
A dress lay neatly next to the victim and a crown
Travis blinked, forcing his fists apart. “I’m going pretend you didn’t just say that.” Travis slammed the locker room door, and in a few quick strides, he was outside heading for his truck. Travis knew his sister hadn’t paraded around asking to be raped and killed.
Chapter Six
Shauna lifted the mascara wand to her lashes with a shaking hand. The loneliness she endured on Sunday hadn’t diminished by Monday morning. “Damn it.” She grabbed a tissue and rubbed the blackness from her face, then pumped her fist and forced her hand to relax.
Sunday had been spent doing what she’d always done. Her routine had consisted of a good workout, a hot cup of coffee while reading the paper, and then a long search on the Internet. But while on the computer looking for any kind of clue that could lead her to her attacker, she realized just how pathetic her life had become.
She tossed her eyeliner into her cosmetic bag. Grabbing her purse, she headed out to her car in a huff.
Her heart raced, just as it did at five thirty when she knew Travis would be at her door for their morning jog. He and his family had dulled her feelings of isolation for a short period of time. Until this past weekend, she hadn’t known how lonely she’d been.
The sun shone strong in the dark blue morning sky as the birds chirped in the cool spring air. She dug deep in her purse, eyes on nothing but her fingers searching for her keys.
Someone grabbed her arm.
Instinctively, she reached for her weapon and prepared to defend herself.
“Relax.” She heard Travis’s smooth voice. It sent warm shivers down her spine.
“You scared me.”
“Sorry.” He guided her across the street to where his truck was parked. “Get in. We got another one.”
The blood in her body froze. “What do you mean?”
“Hotel downtown. Fifteen year-old. Missing two days.” He opened the door for her and touched her arm. “There’s a note.”
“That’s new.” She coughed, unable to concentrate on anything other than the pounding of her heart against her chest.
Moments later, she followed Travis into the despicable old hotel. Streetwalkers paced the hallways, yelling at the police that they were being harassed. The air was thick and stuffy with the pungent stench of five-day-old whiskey breath and rotten eggs.
“Here.” He handed her a pair of latex gloves. Snapping them in place, she prayed her breakfast would stay in her stomach.
Travis turned and looked over his shoulder. “You ready?”
She nodded and held her stomach. This could still be her fate, if she didn’t watch her back. A strong sensation of someone being behind her made her body stiffen and jerk, but she resisted the urge to glance over shoulder.
She could still hear the killer’s words echoing in her ears. He told her that after death he would take care of her. Make sure that God was willing to accept her because she hadn’t sinned.
Hugging herself as her stomach hit her throat, she swallowed. She could taste the bile burning her esophagus.
“Glad you could make it,” a familiar voice said.
“Can’t say I’m thrilled. Hutchensen, you remember my new partner?”
“Sure do.”
“Good to see you again.” She stood still and scanned the room as her eyes watered from the rancid stench. Her head spun and spots flickered about in front of her eyes. She tried to remove herself as best she could as her gaze followed Travis. He looked everywhere but at the body and talked to no one. Then he moved to the foot of the bed.
A faint gasp escaped her mouth. The body laid face up, eyes closed, and the smell of antiseptic filtering through Shauna’s nose couldn’t douse the aroma of death.
Nothing could kill that scent. It was a smell that lingered with you, stuck to you like a bad cigar. Her skin prickled as she felt death cling to her body, almost like it was trying to take her.
A dress lay neatly next to the victim and a crown
Similar Books
