by BIBA PEARCE
Now she was his problem. And given her curious nature and her stubborn determination to get the truth, he had his hands full. Strangely enough, that didn’t bother him. If he were honest, he enjoyed working with her, a freakin’ reporter.
Now that was something he never in a million years thought would happen.
25
Kenzie woke early the next day. Her head was pounding with unanswered questions. If there was a connection between two of the victims, there must be a connection between all of them.
She grabbed a mug of coffee and took it into her study.
It was time to take a closer look at all four victims. She knew the task force would look into it too, but she trusted her own research. She was thorough, and she thought they might miss something.
“Always double-source,” Keith had drilled into her, and after the screw-up with Miami PD’s undercover op last year, she’d learned that lesson the hard way.
The first victim, Sarah Randall, had been the youngest of all four girls at eighteen. She’d been in Miami for Spring Break, a time usually filled with making fun, if raucous memories. Kenzie remembered hers. Even though all she’d wanted to do was become a cop, her father had made her go to college before she applied to the police academy at twenty-one.
She’d gotten her diploma in journalism, because she’d always been good at writing and it meant staying up to date with cutting-edge stories and world events. She’d also figured that one day, when she had kids of her own and could no longer work in the field, she could write about it and work from home. Little did she know that day would come before she’d even graduated from the academy.
Sarah’s friends had reported her missing after she failed to return to the hotel the next morning. Initially, they thought she was with a guy, but when she didn’t materialize, they began to worry. By then, it was already too late.
She’d gone to a public high school in Tallahassee called Markham High. Kenzie couldn’t get a list of teachers’ names. The task force would have to do that. The last place Sarah was seen was The Ocean Club, a hotel beach bar popular with spring breakers.
The second victim, Miranda Hodge, was from Orlando. She came from a normal, middle-class family and had moved to Miami five years ago to work at a real estate agency. Her social media profile said she went to Lakeland High School, which appeared to be one of the best public high schools in the state, according to the reviews she’d found on the internet. An ambitious young woman with a good education, enjoying a night out with friends in one of the beachfront bars. Kenzie looked up the name. Go Social! Miranda had left to walk back to her car and was never seen again.
Kenzie tapped her finger on her mouse. Both Sarah and Miranda had been taken in the South Beach area after a night out. Then there was Natalia, who also disappeared in the same part of town. She’d been abducted from her hotel room at The Sand Club, or had she left on her own accord and been targeted while making her getaway?
Mimi Silverton. Radcliffe High School, Miami. The same as Natalia and Bella Montague. Were they friends? Reid had told her she’d disappeared after going dancing at a club called Maxine’s near the beach. Again, same area. That was obviously the Strangler’s hunting ground.
Kenzie wrote down the names of the various establishments. It was time to scout them out. Walking in the victims’ footsteps would give her a better sense of how the killer had stalked his prey. Perhaps he’d chatted them up, then followed them out. Somehow, he’d lured them back to his place.
Kenzie parked in the nearest parking garage to all four bars. It was situated at the north end of Ocean Drive where it met 15th Street. She exited via the main entrance and emerged onto the busy street. Hotels towered on all sides, dwarfing even the palm trees. It was a scorching hot day and sweating tourists in shorts and T-shirts mingled with locals on their way to the beach or out for lunch.
She started walking and stopped when she came to one of the bars or restaurants on her list. The first thing that struck her was that they were all at the top end of the street, close to where she’d parked. The killer had limited his target area to a few blocks.
She visited all four places. The Ocean Club was spacious, with a large outdoor pool bar, although it would have been packed and rowdy during spring break. Go Social! was a much smaller, nonetheless classy joint with a late-night DJ and an array of mind-boggling cocktails. Not so easy to spy on someone without being noticed.
The Sand Club she knew, so she didn’t go inside, although she stood at the main entrance and studied it. The killer could have targeted Natalia during her husband’s launch party, but how would he have known she’d go back to her room alone? If they were sticking to the Strangler theory, he’d have nabbed her when she left her room later that night.
Kenzie walked around the hotel. Apart from the valet parking outside the main entrance, there was a parking lot around the back, as well as the path from the ground floor suites to the beach. Reid had checked the CCTV footage both at the front entrance and the rear parking lot and found nothing.
She stood on the beach and stared up at the hotel. Where had Natalia gone after she’d walked down the path? She’d need a vehicle or an accomplice to pick her up. She had that heavy suitcase with her, and she was still wearing her party dress. A hurried escape then. No time to waste. But why? Why leave her husband when she was so happily married?
She blew a strand of hair out of her face and located the path leading up to the suite. She didn’t go up it, merely stood looking at it, then turned around and surveyed the beach.
Ocean Drive was pedestrian only, which meant the closest parking garage was the one on 15th where she’d parked. She wondered if Reid had checked there to see whether either suspect had come back to the hotel later that night.
She was about to go into the final bar on her list when she spotted Snake walking along the beach. He was hard to miss with his tattoos, skinny legs, and mop of ruffled, dark hair.
Was that—? Kenzie did a double take. He was walking with Bella.
Now that was interesting.
She walked over to them, bright smile firmly in place. “Hi, how are you guys?”
They froze.
“Oh, Kenzie. Lovely to see you.” Snake recovered first, leaning in for a kiss. Bella took a few steps back.
“I’d better be off,” she said. “It was nice bumping into you, Eric. I’m glad you’re doing better. Let’s talk again soon, yeah?”
He nodded, unsure what to say.
Bella shot Kenzie a furtive smile and strode off the beach.
“I hope she didn’t leave on my account.” Kenzie studied Snake, looking for signs that he was back with his ex-girlfriend.
“No,” he said hurriedly. “We just bumped into each other. She was asking how I was getting on.”
“And how are you getting on?” Kenzie asked.
“I’m okay. I go through phases where I really miss her, you know? Then others when I think I’m okay.”
She gave a sympathetic nod. “It’s hard, but you’ll get there.”
Her eyes followed Bella off the beach. She turned right and disappeared behind the palm trees.
“Hey, listen.” Snake perked up. “I’m having a beach party on Saturday. You wanna come?”
“Sure, that sounds great. Text me the details.”
He nudged her. “You can bring a partner, if you like.”
“Thanks, but I’ll probably just come alone. You know me.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh.
He shook his head. “Time to get settled already, Kenz. I’d like to see you happy.”
“Thanks, but I am happy.” She squeezed his arm.
“Suit yourself. Saturday, 9:00 pm. I’ll text you the address.”
She waved as he set off back the way he’d come.
Kenzie sat down on the hot sand and gazed at the waves rolling in. The sea looked cool and refreshing, and she was hit by a sudden urge to go swimming. Unfortunately, she didn’t have her bikini on, or she woul
d have.
She supposed Bella and Snake could have just bumped into each other like he’d said, although the way they were walking, shoulder to shoulder, heads down, deep in conversation, it looked like they’d been talking a while.
Still, Snake had no reason to lie, unless there was something going on between them. She thought about this possibility for a while, then pulled out her phone to call Reid.
26
“How do you feel about going to a beach party with me tomorrow night?”
Reid hesitated. Was Kenzie asking him out on a date?
“Um, sure.”
Even more bizarrely, he accepted. There was even a twinge of excitement as he said the words. He hadn’t been on a date since Bianca, and they hadn’t really dated. They’d had sex a couple of times after work, then she’d called it off. It wasn’t worth their jobs.
“Snake is having a party, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to snoop around.”
Ah.
“Yeah, sounds good. Maybe we can talk to some of his friends who were at his launch party. Get their take on it?” He hoped his recovery was believable. Of course, she wasn’t asking him out on a date. Why would she? They were working the case together, that was it.
He couldn’t believe his thoughts had even gone there. What was wrong with him?
“That’s what I thought. And guess what? You’ll never believe who I just ran into?”
“Snake?” he guessed.
“With Bella Montague, and they looked pretty close, if you know what I mean.”
“Really? Are they an item again?”
“I’m not sure. They were walking along the beach together, oblivious to the rest of the world. I interrupted them and she took off. He pretended they’d just bumped into each other, but I think it was more than that.”
“That is interesting,” he mused.
“We can check out their status at the party,” she said.
“You’d better send me the details.”
“Better yet, why don’t you pick me up at seven-thirty?”
“Um, yep. I can do that.”
“Cool. See you tomorrow.” She hung up.
“Wow.” She looked incredible. She’d styled her hair so that it twirled around her face in blond tendrils, and for the first time since he’d met her, she was wearing makeup. Her blue eyes looked positively luminous. He realized he was staring and cleared his throat. “I mean, you look great.”
She laughed through glossed lips. “Likewise.”
Her coral-colored dress encased her figure like a seashell, then flowed softly to mid-thigh. It was sexy without being too provocative. Perfect for a celebrity beach party. She wore flat gold sandals and her toenails were painted the same color as her dress.
He suddenly felt self-conscious. He’d worn his best pair of jeans and a navy-blue shirt shot through with silver and open at the neck. It was his most stylish shirt, even though it was still Miami-casual. That was about as formal as he got.
“Shall we?” She stepped out and closed the door behind her.
For a work event, this sure felt like a date.
“So, Bella and Snake, eh?” he said once they’d set off.
“I know. She could be biding her time since Natalia died,” Kenzie pointed out. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“She was hung up on him,” Reid agreed. Kenzie’s perfume was drifting across to him. Warm, feminine, intriguing—a lot like her. Then the air conditioning kicked in and the fragrance dissipated.
“I’ve just had a crazy idea.” She turned to him. “What if Bella and Snake were having an affair? That would give Natalia a reason to leave him.”
“But they hated each other. Bella had a meltdown every time she was in the same room as Natalia.”
“What better way of disguising their affair?”
He glanced at her. “Do you really think they’d be that sly? The negative publicity almost ruined Bella’s reputation.”
“What reputation?” Kenzie said, not unkindly. “She’s a nobody. Her only claim to fame is being Snake’s ex.”
“I don’t know.” Reid drove towards the South Beach hotel where Snake was hosting his party. “Everyone said how happy they were. Even on the hotel security they looked like a couple in love.”
“Appearances can be deceiving.” Kenzie shrugged. “I do it all the time.”
“You pretend to be someone you’re not?”
“Yeah, when I’m investigating a story. It’s easier than you think.”
He didn’t reply.
It was a beautiful evening for a beach party. There was little to no wind, the air was warm, and the sun lingered over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold.
DJ Snake was working his magic on the decks. There were about a hundred guests.
“Who’s who in the music industry,” Kenzie told him. “That guy’s from Radio Times, and that’s the editor of Tuned, the up-and-coming music magazine for the digital age.”
They each got a drink and began circulating. “There’s Bella.” Reid gestured to the strawberry blond in a tantalizing black dress. She was barefoot and had strings of pearls around her neck that jangled as she danced. She was with a group of friends, her back to DJ.
“She’s not even looking at Snake.” He watched as she threw back her head and laughed.
Kenzie drew them into conversation with a young woman who had bright pink hair and a diamond nose-ring. “Checking out the opposition?”
The woman laughed and embraced Kenzie. “Just enjoying the party, hon. He’s on fire tonight.”
Snake mixed a new track seamlessly, grabbing the audience's attention. There were several whoops of approval.
“Reid, meet DJ Fleur. Fleur, this is my friend, Reid.”
He admired the way she’d teased the celebrity while still coming across as warm and friendly. He bet Kenzie was one of the cool kids at school. Always in the in-crowd. She certainly looked the part, flitting around with the glamorous guests. Or was she acting? Turning on the charm to integrate herself into the trendy music set. He realized he didn’t know. She was that good. “Hi, great to meet you, Fleur.”
He, on the other hand, felt like a fish out of water. He wasn’t the most social at the best of times, and he’d certainly never been cool or trendy.
The DJ threw him a seductive smile. “My pleasure.”
“You were good friends with Natalia, weren’t you?” Kenzie said.
“Yeah, I was devastated when they found her body in the swamp.” She shook her head. “We all thought she’d left him.”
“Why’d you think that?” asked Reid.
Fleur looked uneasy. “There was talk that Snake wanted to put her in his next album, but his producers refused. They said she wasn’t good enough, that she’d ruin the album.” She grimaced. “Bitter pill to swallow, but let’s face it Natalia wasn’t a singer. Sweet girl, but not musically gifted.” And this coming from her professed friend.
Reid pursed his lips. “Did that cause a rift between them?”
“Yeah, she thought he should have stuck up for her, but he sided with his producer. I mean, you’re not going to jeopardize your career, are you? Not when a contract’s in the balance.”
“What?” cut in Kenzie.
“Shit, man. Forget I mentioned it.” She glanced at the stage as if Snake could overhear what she’d said.
“They were going to drop him?” Kenzie persisted.
She lowered her voice. “I heard a rumor that he wanted to renegotiate his contract. He felt he wasn’t getting paid enough. Even accused the management company of withholding commission.”
“He kept that very quiet.” Kenzie glanced at Reid.
“I only know because I’m with the same management company,” she said. “They were talking about him being overvalued.”
“What do you think?” asked Reid. “Is he overvalued?”
She shrugged. “He’s not pulling the same kinda sales as he used to, but the fans still l
ove him. And you know what this industry’s like.” She looked at Kenzie. “All it takes is one slick remix and you’re smiling again.”
“True.” Kenzie nodded in agreement.
Reid had to take their word for it. What he knew about the music industry was dangerous.
A couple of Fleur’s friends came up, and Kenzie and Reid stepped away.
“He can start his own management company now.” Reid watched Snake as he jumped up and down, one hand on the massive set of earphones, the other on the turntable. “He’s inherited a fortune from Natalia.”
Kenzie followed his gaze. “Very convenient.”
27
“I’m going to talk to Snake’s friends.” Kenzie motioned to a group of guys about Snake’s age, also sporting tattoos and designer jeans. “I want to question them about the night Natalia disappeared.”
“You know them?” Reid frowned at the way they were tossing back shots from a bottle of tequila.
She grinned. “Yeah. I party with them sometimes.”
“I see.”
She laughed. “Don’t be such a party pooper. Go talk to Dave.”
“Who?”
“You know, the guy who was at the launch party with Bella. The one who took her home that night.”
“Gotcha.”
He strode off, beer in hand. Kenzie watched him go. She could tell he felt awkward, but was hiding it well. His height and imposing physique gave him an air of confidence he didn’t feel, not with this crowd. He was more at home with cops and ex-cons, like her dad. She got it.
Kenzie’d had to grow up fast when her mother disappeared. She’d learned to mask her feelings, to hide her emotions and put on a brave face. To smile when she didn’t feel like it and to feign interest when all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry.
She’d done it so often it had become natural. Now she flitted from group to group, role to role with ease. A definite skill in her job.
