Ruthless by Debra Webb Page A

the identification personally rather than passing the job off to the lab. Jess needed to be there, too. She couldn’t do the job these families deserved if she let this killer or any aspect of this case continue to rattle her so.
    For a moment, she scanned the growing crowd beyond the yellow tape that marked her sister’s yard and home a crime scene. Was the bastard here? Observing? Salivating as he watched her deal with the nightmare he’d created? Fury swept through her. For a second she considered barging into that crowd and demanding IDs.
    Harper caught up with her. “I’ll put in a call to Dr. Baron.”
    Jess had to clear her mind yet again.
Deep breath.
“Tell her I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    When Harper had rejoined the techs, Jess stretched her neck and took a couple more good, deep breaths. “Okay.” She braced for the fuss her sister would no doubt launch. “Let’s get this part over with,” she grumbled.
    In the house Lily and Blake were questioning Lori. Jess wasn’t surprised. Knowing Lori, she had managed to get her questions in first in spite of these two.
    “You’re not giving my detective a hard time, are you?” Jess asked, hoping to lift the mood just a little. Her sister had enough to deal with trying to find some answers to the medical issues plaguing her. She didn’t need to worry about Jess and some crazed killer on top of the mountain already in front of her.
    “Is it another of those little girls?” Lil demanded. “Your detective won’t tell us.”
    “We won’t be able to confirm that until we officially identify the… remains.”
    Lily’s hands went over her mouth. She shook her head and a new wave of tears bloomed on her lashes. Blake draped his arm around her shoulders and tried to comfort her. Jess fought the need to cry herself. She wasn’t doing those little girls one bit of good getting all emotional like this.
    “I’ll be outside,” Lori offered.
    “Thanks.” Jess waited until Lori had gone out through the kitchen door. The front porch was a crime scene, there would be no using that door until sometime tomorrow.
    “Why is he sending these to you?” Lil’s lips trembled.
    Jess steeled herself against her own emotions andhugged her sister hard. “I don’t know. But I’m going to do all I can to find him and stop him.”
    “It’s not fair,” Lil murmured. “You already have one freak taunting you.”
    A pathetic excuse for a laugh rumbled out of Jess. “I guess I have a target painted on my forehead that only the freaks can see.”
    Lil drew back and searched Jess’s eyes, tears still slipping from her own. “I don’t like this, Jess. What if he gets lucky and somehow gets close enough to hurt you?”
    Jess hugged her sister again. “That won’t be lucky, sweetie.” She drew back to look Lil in the eyes once more. “That’ll be the last thing he ever does.”
    Lil required a few more minutes of persuasion before she relented and allowed Jess to leave so she could do her job.
    They agreed on one point—the situation provided a tangible reason to be thankful both Lil’s kids were away at college. Jess was most grateful her sister didn’t seem to hold that against her. So far, her homecoming had disrupted the lives of everyone close to her.
    “Way to go, Jess.”
    Outside, Burnett waited for her. He looked as weary and troubled as she felt. Who wouldn’t be? They only had about eighteen more to go. Her entire being ached at the thought. The need to collapse in Dan’s arms was so strong she had to look away from him to hold herself back.
    Having the killer continue to make deliveries to her wasn’t half as worrisome as the idea that he could start to eye replacements.
    “Where’s Black?” she asked. He’d been talking to Dan when Jess went inside to reassure her sister.
    “He’ll meet us at the coroner’s office.”
    “We should get over there. There’s nothing else I can do here.” Except fall apart for the