Still Waters by Debra Webb Page A

that talk.
    Mrs. McCorkle told her the name of the company, but it wasn’t the one Amber used. After half an hour, Amber learned that she and Kimberly had very little in common beyond their single-mindedness regarding their careers. As significant as that similarity was, their careers were so different Amber wasn’t sure how that had drawn a killer’s attention. The firm where Kimberly was employed was nowhere near Channel Six. Maybe they shared the same maintenance crew, or maybe Adler had made deliveries to both offices or to their homes. The architectural firm hadn’t been on the list, but maybe that was only because he’d delivered there fewer times.
    By ten thirty Amber realized the woman would have gladly stayed up all night talking about her daughter. She passed Mrs. McCorkle a business card. “This is my cell number. Call me anytime, day or night, if you think of anything you believe would be helpful.”
    Mrs. McCorkle saw them to the door. “I hope they catch him soon.”
    Amber squeezed her arm. “I’m certain they will.”
    When goodbyes were exchanged and the door closed behind them, Amber felt exhausted. The meeting had been far more emotional than she’d expected. She had conducted plenty of interviews with families who had lost loved ones, but somehow this time had been more difficult. Certainly it was more personal. Those people could have been her parents...
    Sean abruptly moved in front of her. She bumped into his back. His hand went under his jacket where she’d seen the weapon stationed at his hip. She peeked around one broad shoulder and spotted the trouble. A man stepped out of the shadows.
    Gerard Stevens.
    Irritation seared through Amber. “What do you want?” She stepped around Sean, but he stopped her with one strong hand before she could move toward Stevens.
    “So the rumors that Adler is connected to the McCorkle and Pettie murders are true,” Stevens stated with a satisfied smile.
    “You know this guy?” Sean asked, his fingers still biting into her arm.
    “She knows me,” Stevens mouthed off. “She knows me very well.”
    “Adler was stalking me,” Amber said, anger building faster than she would have liked. “I’m considering an exposé on women who’re murdered by obsessed men. You better watch out or you’ll end up in the story.”
    “I’ll nudge my contacts at the BPD and confirm for myself.”
    Sean was urging her toward the car.
    “You do that,” Amber tossed at the jerk before Sean ushered her into the car. Stevens had made far too many enemies at the BPD to have any reliable contacts left. He was bluffing. How the hell had she ever been attracted to the arrogant bastard?
    Sean echoed the question as he drove away from the McCorkle neighborhood. “You dated that guy?”
    “Once or twice.” More like six times. She closed her eyes and shuddered at the memory of the time they’d spent together. The moment Gina had found out, she’d told Amber that Stevens liked to bed all the new female competition, and then he bragged to his male peers.
    Gerard Stevens had been her one big career mistake. Cutting herself a little slack, she had been young and eager to make all the right contacts in the business. At the time Stevens had seemed like a great contact. Live and learn .
    “I guess pretty boys like him attract lots of women.”
    Amber considered the remark as they drove through the night. For such a handsome guy, Sean almost sounded envious. She wouldn’t tell him, but he was far better-looking and more charismatic than Stevens would ever be.
    “Trust me—his ego is sickening. What you see is definitely not what you get. As a date he’s a massive letdown.”
    “Ouch,” he teased. “Remind me never to let you down.”
    During the fifteen or so minutes it took to drive to her house, Amber weighed the few facts she knew. If Pettie had been a career-oriented woman, that could very well be the attraction the three of them shared. Still, the killer had to have