by Crissy Smith
“Oh, sorry, lot on my mind.”
“I heard about Amanda Caldwell,” Allysa offered, sobering.
“You knew her?” Katy hadn’t thought of that. Hadn’t considered how the murder would affect her sister.
Allysa shrugged and sat down across from her. “Not well, but yeah.”
“I’m sorry I hadn’t thought about that. She was your age.”
“We had a couple meetings we both attended. We weren’t friends but were friendly enough. She was real quiet…shy, you know?”
Katy watched her sister take a drink of her coffee. Katy took a drink of her own and grimaced since it had turned stone cold.
“She worked at the elementary school,” Katy told her.
“Yeah, about a year now,” Allysa confirmed. “I think everyone liked her. She was a good teacher, cared about her kids, about their future.”
Katy knew her sister was a good teacher also. She taught history in the junior high school and coached girls’ softball. Katy started making plans in her head to interview other teachers, Amanda’s friends, and some of the busy-bodies in town. Which reminded her—“Where did you hear about this, exactly?”
Allysa shrugged. “Small town.”
Katy laughed briefly and got up to dump out her cold coffee. Refilling her travel mug, she looked outside the kitchen window to the backyard of the pretty, ranch-style house they shared. She sighed.
“It was bad, huh?”
Katy turned around and looked at her sister. “Very.”
Allysa stared back and when she cocked her head, Katy wanted to laugh, but her sister’s next question stopped her.
“But that’s not all that’s bothering you.”
Katy frowned at being so readable. “No.”
Katy wasn’t going to elaborate but her sister sat there and waited. Damn, but she knew her too well.
“This might be connected to the serial killer in Dallas,” Katy informed her.
“Shit,” Allysa said, jerking in her chair.
“Yeah.”
“He could be here? In our town?” Allysa’s voice shook. Katy didn’t want to upset her, but she wanted…no, needed Allysa to protect herself.
“No. Yes. I don’t know. Listen to me, Allysa. I don’t know if it is him. It could be a copycat or someone just driving through town. I don’t want this to get out before I know if it’s connected. But you need to be careful. If something happened to you…” Katy tried to explain. But she wasn’t any better at sharing her feelings with Allysa than she had been with Cameron.
Allysa nodded. “I understand.”
Katy took a good look at her sister. When she’d moved back she had been shocked at how much Allysa had changed. Katy had always kept a picture in her head of the sweet, innocent eight year old who had hung on her every word. Allysa had turned into a woman Katy was proud to call family. She could take care of herself and had for several years. But Allysa was special—even more so than Katy.
That didn’t absolve Katy of her responsibility to take care of Allysa. Now that she was back she would have to make sure her job didn’t affect her little sister. And that included anyone who came with the job. Like the guests they would have soon.
“I called the Feds. They should be here sometime today,” Katy told Allysa, partly to make her feel better and partly to give advance warning.
“Okay.” Allysa took a deep breath. “I can’t believe this.”
“Me either,” Katy agreed and left it at that.
Several minutes went by before Allysa put it together. “You called the Feds?”
Katy nodded.
“The Feds from Dallas?” Allysa asked with growing amusement.
Again, all Katy did was nod.
A smile broke out on her sister’s face. “And from your appearance and zoning out, I can guess which Fed they’re sending.”
When Katy didn’t answer, Allysa laughed.
“Well, I’d say that puts an interesting spin on things,” her sister offered. Allysa knew what had happened between her and Cameron. She knew everything.
Katy frowned. “Whatever.” She silently prayed Allysa would leave everything alone. No such luck.
That just made her sister laugh harder. When she came around the table and put her arms around her, Katy was barely able to hold back a growl.
“Before you go in, you might want to check your clothing. Your shirt’s buttoned wrong,” Allysa told her.
Katy cursed as Allysa ran out of the room, her laughter staying behind.
* * * *
Cameron parked the rental car in front of the Sheriff’s Office in Greenwood, Texas. The drive into town should have been relaxing since it was so beautiful out here, but his mind was turning with turmoil. The case, the woman—both swirled in his head.
“You okay?” his partner asked him.
Cameron nodded and looked out of the windshield into the station. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied. In all the scenarios he’d thought…dreamt about, he’d never expected to be reconnected with Katy this way. Not with a serial killer loose. Luckily Ryan didn’t call him on his lie, just waited until Cameron took several deep breaths.
They got out and stretched their legs. The closest airport was a three-hour drive. They’d made good time but still the sitting hadn’t been fun.
“Sure is pretty here,” Ryan commented carefully.
“Yes it is,” Cameron agreed. Not able to put it off any longer, he headed for the door.
The office was like many other small Sheriff’s offices in the state. A woman who looked to be about fifty sat in a front desk on the phone, and four deputies in uniform sat in desks behind her. Cameron looked around for the Sheriff but didn’t see her.
“We have no comment at this time,” the woman said pleasantly into the phone before hanging up and looking at them. She seemed to take in their suits and frowned. “You the Feds?” she asked, her accent deep and true.
“Yes, ma’am. Special Agents Morris and Waters.” Cameron pulled out his badge.
She looked at him suspiciously but nodded. “The Sheriff’s expecting you,” she told them before standing and turning on her heel.
Cameron watched her walk back to an office across from them. The blinds were down so he couldn’t see inside. She knocked on the open door.
“Those Feds are here, Sheriff.”
Cameron didn’t hear a response but the woman glanced over her shoulder at them and smirked. “Yes, ma’am.”
Then Katy came out of the office, wearing a khaki uniform, black boots, and a frown. Her long chestnut hair swayed in a braid behind her, her green eyes were alert and sharp, and she watched him as he watched her approach.
“Special Agents, thank you for coming so quickly,” she said in that professional tone you use with strangers.
It grated on his nerves but he let it go…for now. “Sheriff,” he said, just as professionally.
Her eyes didn’t give anything away and Cameron was really looking. “Please come back.” She turned and walked quickly to her office.
Cameron and Ryan followed Katy. If he sneaked a look at her ass as she walked ahead of him, who would blame him? His hands itched to feel her flesh again. Those perfect round cheeks of hers always fitted perfectly in his hands as he lifted her up and pounded her into the nearest wall or whatever surface was closer.
Ryan cleared his throat and bumped his shoulder. Cameron pressed his lips tightly together and pulled in his desire. He drew on his well-known control and focused on releasing all thoughts.
As he walked closer to Katy’s office, he felt the calmness the control wrapped around him. Ryan relaxed next to him, sensing he was okay. He should have been embarrassed his partner had picked up on his feelings, but he wasn’t going to worry about it. Ryan was discreet and he trusted the man.
Katy waited until they were inside her small office before closing the door and moving to her chair.
“I really do appreciate you coming so fast. I didn’t know if I should
wait for the two of you or continue with the investigation,” Katy told them as they took a seat.
Cameron noticed she’d not looked at him since he entered her office. Her eyes stayed on the file in front of her. Point one for him. His presence bothered her. Good.
“What have you got so far?” he asked, his voice losing the professional tone to a more intimate one.
As Katy pushed the file forwards her hand shook. Cameron picked it up and glanced at her before opening it. He quickly went through the file before handing it to his partner. Ryan did the same before laying it back on the desk.
“We need to see the body. The dump site. And talk to whoever found the body,” Cameron told her. He could do his job. But he wasn’t about to let Katy out of his sight. The more time they spent together, the better he would know how to handle her when they talked. And they would talk…at the very least.
“Do you think it’s him?” she asked softly.
“I don’t know yet. If it is, then we’re in trouble, but one step at a time. Where’d the victim live?”
She looked at him finally and Cameron felt the punch. Her eyes, which were still crystal clear, held something in them. An emotion he had only hoped to still see. While she was worried and angry, she was also fighting herself. He knew every feeling she kept hidden. For the first time in a long time, he felt deep hope.
“Not far from here,” she interrupted his thoughts. “Do you want to go there or to the dump site?”
“We’ll go to the apartment first.”
Katy nodded and stood. “I’ll take you over. I got the key last night from her mom and went through it. I didn’t see anything out of place. I don’t think she was taken from there.”
Cameron nodded but remained silent as he made a gesture for her to precede him.
Katy stopped to talk to one of the deputies. He was in his late forties and looked over at them with a frown. Cameron got the impression that no one in the Sheriff’s office was happy they were there, but then he’d expected that. Nodding, the man said something too low for Cameron to hear. Katy shook her head then turned back to him.
“Let’s go,” she said sharply.
Outside she stopped in front of the rental car. “This yours?”
“It’s what we could rent.”
Katy laughed and for a minute, Cameron felt like he was back in her old apartment sharing dinner on the coffee table. The sound went straight to his cock and he was immediately hard. It had taken months before Katy had learnt it was okay to laugh in bed. But once she’d started to enjoy sex instead of merely using it to release stress, she’d been insatiable. He shook his head to dislodge the thought. He didn’t need his partner to bust him again.
“That’s not going to do you much good here. You need a good four-wheel drive,” Katy told them before heading to a black SUV. “You can ride with me.”
Cameron got in the passenger seat next to her, and Katy took a deep breath. He knew her moods better than anyone else. Her scent was programmed deep inside him. She kept looking at him from the corner of her eye, but he ignored it. There was a time and place, he repeated inside his head.
She’d run. Run from him and from herself. He’d let her go. Not only had she kept things from him, but he had secrets of his own. It had been too soon to tell her before. But after a year of being apart, he knew it was time. He wouldn’t leave after this case without his mate by his side.
Business first—pleasure later.
She drove five blocks to the neat and clean townhouse that had been Amanda Caldwell’s home. When she pulled to the kerb, Cameron looked over at her, surprised.
“This it?”
Katy nodded, turning off the vehicle.
“You were right—it wasn’t far.”
“Small town,” she mumbled, before opening her door.
On the kerb, Cameron looked over at his partner who had remained silent. He knew Ryan had some idea of what happened between him and Katy, but not everything. Both men had been at his Alpha’s house when he’d asked permission to claim Katy. The permission had been given. But he hadn’t had time to take her before she ran.
“What do you think?” Cameron asked him quietly as Katy walked up the drive.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Ryan answered. “Tonight I want to come out and search.”
Meaning he wanted to change forms. Cameron understood and agreed.
“If it is him, there will be something. Although I already think he’s come west,” Ryan commented.
Cameron watched as Katy picked up the newspaper on the stoop, her backside looking yummy and round as she bent. “I know what you mean,” he said before following her up.
Once inside the townhouse, Cameron had to admit it felt homey. Amanda Caldwell had simple but nice taste in decorations and fabrics. The living room was painted a pretty yellow.
Everything seemed in place and orderly like Katy had said until he entered the kitchen. Cameron felt his breath rush out when he saw a dozen yellow long-stemmed roses on the kitchen counter.
“Fuck,” Ryan muttered from behind him.
“What?” Katy asked, right beside him.
Cameron turned but looked at Ryan, not her. “There’s no way anyone else would have known.”
“What?” Katy asked again.
“Not even the family knew it meant anything,” Ryan agreed with him.
“What?” Katy asked, raising her voice and stomping her foot.
“Our killer sends the victims a dozen long-stemmed yellow roses before he takes them.”
Katy looked from him to the flowers. “Ah, shit.”
Chapter Three
Two hours later, they still hadn’t found anything to tie Amanda’s killer to inside her house. Getting back into her vehicle, Katy looked up at the sky. “If you want to see the dump site, we’d better go ahead and head that way.”
“A local rancher found her on his property?” Cameron asked as she pulled away.
“Actually, the Lamberts own Lambert Oil. They are old money around here and have been around for ages. The oldest son, Clint, found her as he was driving down their private road to the creek.”
“Private road?” Ryan asked from the back seat.
Katy nodded and glanced at the rear view mirror. “There must be a dozen roads that lead to that creek. One goes through their property and has a gate.”
“So he had to go through the gate to get in?” Cameron asked.
“Yes. I asked Clint about that, but they rarely lock the gate anymore so it was standing open,” Katy explained.
“Do you know this Clint Lambert?” Cameron asked, his voice normal and low. Katy still shivered. Cameron had always had a possessive streak.
Katy’s hands tightened on the steering wheel but when she answered her voice was just as calm and professional, thank God. “We went to high school together.”
Neither man commented. While she was used to that from Cameron, she couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the two men. Cameron had been able to pick up more from a victim and suspect by just listening and watching than anyone she’d ever met. The way Ryan remained quiet most of the time but still watched her closely gave her the impression he could do the same. It was a little unsettling.
“Can you tell me about the cases in Dallas?” she asked, changing the subject.
Cameron nodded and Ryan started to fill her in. A lot of information filtered in, and she tried to piece it all together. Why would a serial killer change his modus operandi so much and leave Dallas? It didn’t make sense.
Katy bypassed the house and drove to the area where the body had been discovered. Cameron and Ryan got out immediately as Katy sat a moment longer in her vehicle, trying to catch her breath. Being so close to Cameron was driving her nerves into overtime.
She could feel him watching her and it was all she could do to keep her eyes on the road. Not that she needed to give it as much attention as she was, but she hadn’t wanted to look at him.
/> From the windshield, she watched as he and Ryan walked around. They spoke then looked back at her. She took a deep breath, opened her door and stepped out into the Texas heat.
They’d already seen pictures of the scene from the file. She grimaced as she walked over to them, her sunglasses barely making a difference in the glare of the early evening sun.
“Lay it out for me,” Cameron told her as she reached them.
Falling back on the old days when she’d worked with him, she went over everything, thinking out loud as they’d done on so many cases.
It felt so familiar…so right. She tried not to think about that too much.
* * * *
They reached the Lambert house a little after seven. Katy had asked Davis to call ahead and tell Clint they would be by, so she wasn’t surprised when he opened the door before they’d exited the vehicle. He stood and watched them approach.
“Sheriff Katy,” he greeted with a confident smile she knew only too well.
“Mr. Lambert, these are Special Agents Morris and Waters,” Katy introduced.
“Well. Feds, huh?” Clint looked both men up and down before offering his hand. “I heard we’d have the big guns coming to town.” Both agents shook his hand while Katy watched. She could only hope Clint behaved himself. But the first words out of his mouth proved she wouldn’t get that wish.
“Well, honey, you know I’m more than willing to help if I can,” he said with a wink to her, and she felt Cameron stiffen beside her.
“They just have some questions for you,” she told him, trying to head off a confrontation between the men.
“Sure.” Clint motioned into the house. “Please come in.”
Katy nodded and followed the agents inside. She looked around and noticed nothing had changed since the last time she’d been inside the Lambert home, many years ago. She’d always been intimidated and this time was no different. It wasn’t homey by any means, more like a museum than a place you’d raise children in. But then, Mrs. Lambert never had raised her children. She’d had nannies, cooks and housekeepers to do all that.
