by Angela Kay
Tears came full force and Aidan left his corner of the treehouse to go to her. He wrapped his arms around her and allowed Rachel to let loose the tears.
When she was able, Rachel pushed herself away and turned to look at him, blinking back tears the best she could.
“I don’t understand why anyone would want to kill us,” she whimpered. “We never hurt anyone. It doesn’t make sense. Do you think the killer will come after me?”
“No,” Aidan promised. “I don’t think he will.”
Of that, he was certain.
Rachel wiped her eyes with the heel of her hands.
“Can you answer a few more questions for me?” Aidan asked her. When she nodded, he said, “Have you ever seen the guy in the photo before?”
Rachel shook her head.
“Can you describe what he looked like?”
“I-I-I don’t remember,” Rachel said. “Light brown hair…maybe blonde? I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I don’t want you to force your memory. It may come back to you later. You can let me know then. You’re doing good, honey.”
Rachel wiped her tear-stained face with her hands.
“Tell me a little about Ray,” Aidan suggested. “Did he get into a lot of trouble?”
Rachel shook her head. “He’d never been in trouble before. Ray doesn’t really talk to anyone except me and Leon.”
“What about Leon? Does he ever make trouble?”
Rachel shrugged carelessly. “I guess he was more outspoken than either of us. He thought the emails Ray got were exciting. At first, Ray didn’t want to bother with the last prize because we were supposed to stay with our class, but…”
“But what?”
“But like Leon, Ray wanted to try to earn the big prize.”
“Do you know what the big prize was?”
“No. Leon thought it might be money. I kinda thought the whole thing was weird, but we played Pokémon Go many times, so I didn’t think too much about it.”
“Think back on the day you and your friends were on your class trip,” Aidan began, “Do you remember if anyone spoke to you before parting from your class? Or afterward?”
Rachel considered the question. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry.”
Aidan reached over and gently squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. Be glad you’re okay.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again. Ray’s dead. And Leon…they said he might not live.”
“Rachel, I promise we’ll do all in our power to find out who did this to you and your friends. Okay?” Aidan hesitated a beat. “I have one last thing I need to ask you. We heard you’ve been having some trouble at school, with a kid named Mitchell Garvey.”
She nodded, wiping her eyes with the heel of her wrists. “He’s a jerk. No one cares that he’s been bothering me. At least not until Ray and Leon got involved.”
“Have you had issues with him since the altercation at school?”
“No. Not really.”
“Do you believe he has a reason for picking on you?”
“I went on a date with him once,” Rachel explained. “It wasn’t really a date, though. We went to the movies with some other couples. He tried to get me to sleep with him, but I said no. I wanted to save myself. He got rough. I never told Ray and Leon about that part.” Rachel paused, drawing in a long, shaky breath. “But ever since, he started spreading rumors that we got hot and heavy and that he taped us. It was all lies, but the kids in school believed it and called me a slut.”
“And a few days before your field trip, Garvey cornered you in the locker room?”
Rachel nodded. “He started touching me while his friends watched and laughed. I kneed him and got away. Ray and Leon saw me and asked what was wrong. I told them then.”
“And they defended you?”
She nodded. “I didn’t know they’d gang up on him. I didn’t want Ray and Leon to get into trouble. But Mitchell was getting worse. He scares me sometimes. I couldn’t face school the next day.”
“All right,” Aidan said with a smile. “That’s useful information. What do you say we go down now? Talk to your parents? I’d also like you to look at a photo. See if you recognize someone. Maybe you saw her at school, or someplace else.”
“Okay.”
Aidan let Rachel climb down the ladder first, then followed her into the house.
Her parents watched them, keeping their concerns quiet as Aidan showed her the photo of Stephanie Carpenter.
Rachel studied her for a long few minutes before finally looking up at Aidan.
“No,” Rachel said. She looked down again as if trying to be sure. “I haven’t seen her before. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right,” Aidan assured her. “Thank you, Rachel, for talking to me. You helped shed a lot of light on some things.”
Aidan thanked Rachel’s parents for allowing him to have the time with her, then he and Shaun left.
13
IT HAD BEEN a few days since the hunter last hunted, and he was beginning to feel restless. It amazed him how at peace he felt holding his rifle, waiting to make his kill. As much as he enjoyed hunting deer in his youth, there was something more…invigorating…hunting his victims.
The rush of adrenaline he’d earn.
The fact that they didn’t expect it.
No one to see him coming.
None the wiser.
He watched as his newest target, Kristen McCoy, danced with her boyfriend’s best friend, a little more closely than he believed she should. Of course, he’d already done his homework on the couple. Her boyfriend had to leave town on a family emergency, so the likelihood of him catching their transgressions was slim to none. During the time of his studies, he heard their squabbles. The boyfriend had accused her of cheating on him but didn’t know the identity of the man.
Of course, though she’d assured the boyfriend he was wrong, he was actually right. Kristen and her boyfriend’s best friend had had intimate relations, usually at bars. It didn’t seem that the boyfriend was much of a drinker, but Kristen McCoy enjoyed it.
Kristen danced with her companion, her flirty smile an invitation for him to lean into her, nibbling her earlobe. She pulled away, tilting her head back in a laugh, which drowned amid the pulsing club music.
Kristen said something to him, leaning in close as if to kiss him, but instead sauntered around him, making her way to the bar, throwing her hips side to side as she walked.
The hunter looked away, pretending he was paying more attention to the crowd in general, but he kept one eye on Kristen. Even if he wasn’t required to study her for his plans to remain intact, it would be hard not to look at her, ogle her.
Her well-toned tanned legs seemed to go on for miles, fit snuggly underneath the black mini-skirt.
Kristen leaned against the counter, her top revealing enough to drive a man all the crazier. It certainly did the young bartender, who leaned in close so he could see what else was inside the shirt. The hunter smelled the aftershave.
“What can I get you, beautiful?” the bartender asked, flashing a flirty smile.
The hunter fought back an eye roll.
The bartender did not match the league of Kristen McCoy.
“One gin and tonic and whatever my admirer sitting next to me would like.”
At the sound of her fluid voice, the hunter glanced her way and smiled at her, finding her studying him with intent. Her piercing green eyes did a number on him, making the hunter yearn for her touch. He’d always loved women with deep green eyes. To him, they always seemed to be up to something.
He guessed his prey must be.
How interesting.
To the disappointed bartender, the hunter said, “I’ll have the same.” To her, he asked, “‘Admirer?’”
“I’m very observant,” she told him with a wink. “I could see you watching me from the corner of your eyes.”
“I guess I need to work on my impassiveness
face,” he replied with a sheepish chuckle. He felt a tingle rise within him and he couldn’t help wondering how she’d feel with him on top of her. Something about Kristen McCoy made it difficult to focus on why he was there.
That, above all, sent an alarm to him. He’d been focused on one thing and one thing alone. He couldn’t risk his prey messing it up.
“Must be the blue blood in my veins, something I inherited. I’m Kristen.” She extended a flimsy hand, to which he accepted and kissed.
“I’m Luke,” he lied. “It’s a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman, Kristen.”
Kristen giggled, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly.
She had practice picking men up, he realized.
The bartender set the drinks in front of them, purposefully sloshing his on the table.
“Apologies,” he said grimly.
“No worries at all.” The hunter waved his hand as if to clean the slate. The bartender was of no matter to him, so he didn’t care to respond. Despite the warnings, the hunter gazed at Kristen for a beat, until a new song came on the jukebox. “I may be overstepping my boundaries with your boyfriend, but would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”
“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” she said with another laugh.
“Ah, you seemed to be rather…close,” the hunter replied. As he sipped his gin and tonic, he scanned the crowd but didn’t see her companion in sight.
“He’s a friend of my boyfriend, who is out of town for the week. I guess you can say I’m out on the town for tonight.” She winked and brought her own gin and tonic to her lips.
“His loss,” the hunter replied.
“I’m pleased you see it my way.”
“So, Kristen…how about that dance?”
She beamed at him, her eyes clouding as the drinking continued to take effect. In answer, Kristen took his hand and led him to the middle of the dance floor. He drew her body close to his, slipping into the slow beat of the song.
The hunter leaned close to her ear. “Is this to be our song?”
“Hmmm,” she purred with a giggle. “For the night, anyway.”
“What if my intention is to keep you for all nights?”
She tilted her head in laughter. “Is that something you’ve been desiring since laying eyes on me?”
“My dear,” the hunter said. “I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.”
Her face changed expressions. For a brief second, he thought he may have lost his momentum.
“Wow,” she breathed. “No one’s ever said anything like that to me.”
“Do you believe in destiny, Kristen?”
“I’m starting to.”
“I believe you and I were meant to be one. You were meant to be mine.”
To both his surprise and amusement, Kristen met her lips with his, kissing him hungrily.
It hadn’t been long since the hunter had female companionship, but he had never been with any of his targets. The thought of it excited him, and he moved closer to her to hide the reaction his body was receiving.
If she noticed, she didn’t care.
He pushed her back toward where the bathrooms were, led her inside the men’s stall, and reached underneath her miniskirt, feeling her lace undergarments.
The background music of the slow song continued to blast through the speaker until it changed to a more upbeat tone. The bathroom wall vibrated with the bass.
Each move he made was slow, to not scare her off. He needed her at that moment, and if she ran away, it would ruin all his plans—one reason why he didn’t want to get involved with any of his targets.
But Kristen was too drunk to know or care about what was happening. Or perhaps the words he fed to her was something she’d long since desired to hear.
Whatever the reason, Kristen let go of her free will.
The hunter took her, and whatever innocence she had left, with the knowledge that he would soon take her life.
14
“SOMETHING CAME TO my mind last night,” Aidan said to Shaun as he approached him the next morning. He propped himself on the edge of Shaun’s desk. Douglas and Harrelson had managed to clear Mitchell Garvey’s name as a suspect. He had been in classes during the Phinizy trip. His teachers confirmed it. Now, they were back to square one, with no leads in sight.
That was, at least, until Aidan remembered something.
“I was reviewing the case notes and got to thinking. Didn’t Christensen tell us Shannon Baxter mentioned she and her aunt were on a scavenger hunt?”
In the process of tearing open the packet of his granola bar, Shaun paused and nodded. “You’re right, he did.”
“It looks like our offender is making his victims unwitting players of a twisted game.”
Before answering, Shaun stretched his arms, his muscles bulging through the sleeves of his shirt. He bit into the granola bar. “Think these murders were random? Our killer picked those more likely to play his game?”
“He’s choosing them for a reason,” Aidan told him. He picked up the file from Shaun’s desk and glanced through Stephanie’s information. “Rachel said only a select few were chosen for the game.”
“We may not know the connection between Stephanie and Ray yet, but there is definitely something. We just need to figure out what our offender is looking at.”
They fell into a brief silence. Aidan set the file down and watched as the FBI office slowly came alive for the day. He absentmindedly picked up his coffee and took a sip.
He spotted Monroe walking up with a large thermos in one hand and her handbag in the other. She acknowledged him with a nod before disappearing into her office.
“I think we need to move with this scavenger hunt thing,” Aidan said. “We need to go talk to Shannon Baxter ourselves. Maybe if we get a feel on how this scavenger hunt plays out, we’ll know where to go from there.”
Shaun nodded, glancing at his watch. “If we hurry, we can catch her before she leaves for school.”
When Shaun pulled to a stop in the driveway of Leanne Baxter’s house, they saw the door open and she walked outside with a familiar man.
The sight of him churned Aidan’s stomach. Everywhere they went, the thorn in his side always returned.
Aidan cursed underneath his breath. “What’s Jordan Blake doing here?”
They watched as he shook hands with Leanne and walked to his car, oblivious to the agents’ presence.
Shaun drove past the house and waited until Jordan was gone before turning to Aidan. “What’s he up to?”
“I don’t know,” Aidan said. “It can’t be good, whatever it is. We’re going to need to find out. We don’t need him poking around and interfering with our investigation…or getting himself killed.”
“Or both,” Shaun added.
“Yeah,” Aidan breathed.
Shaun U-turned and pulled into Leanne Baxter’s driveway. She was about to return inside but stopped when she saw them.
Aidan and Shaun climbed out to greet Leanne.
“Mrs. Baxter,” Aidan said. “How are you?”
“Fine,” she answered. “Was there something else you needed? Have you found something out about my sister?”
“Not yet,” Shaun said. He looked back on the empty road, then at Leanne. “Mrs. Baxter, what was Jordan Blake doing here?”
“You know him?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Let’s just say he’s an old…friend,” Aidan replied, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. “What did you tell him?”
Leanne shook her head. “I didn’t say anything. He wanted to offer his condolences about my sister. He asked me some of the same questions you did earlier.”
“Of course, we can’t tell you what to say or don’t say to a reporter,” Aidan told her, “But my advice to you is to not speak to him. Or any reporter for that matter, until this investigation is resolved, or we say otherwise.”
Leanne paused as if considering what he had said, then she nodded in agreement
. “I can do that. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of reporters. Most of them these days spin their own truths. What can I do for you if you’re not here with news?”
“Would you allow us to speak to your daughter for a few minutes?” Shaun asked. “We have a few more questions.”
“Yes, but it can’t take too long. She needs to get to school,” Leanne replied. “Come on in.”
She led them inside, calling upstairs for her daughter.
“I’m coming, Mom,” they heard Shannon say as she walked down the stairs.
“This is Agents O’Reilly and Henderson, honey. They need to ask you a few more questions,” Leanne told her.
“If you don’t mind,” Aidan added.
“Of course, she doesn’t. We want to do anything we can to help find the person who killed my sister,” Leanne said.
“How are you ladies dealing?” Shaun wondered as they piled into the living room. He sat down on the couch, Aidan taking the seat next to him.
“We’re both trying to make things normal, but…it’s not.”
“My aunt was the best,” Shannon said tearfully. “She never hurt anybody. Never.”
“We are truly sorry about your aunt,” Shaun said, “I want you to know we’re doing everything we can to help find out who did this. I know you already spoke to the sheriff’s department, but we’re also heading up the investigation. It’s important that we have a few moments with you.”
“Okay,” Shannon said. “I’ll try to help.”
“I know when the police showed you last time, you didn’t recognize these kids,” Aidan began as he pulled out. “But I’m going to show you again. Take your time and think before you answer. Maybe something will spark your memory.”
Shannon nodded and did as she was instructed. Several minutes passed before she handed the three photos back to Aidan. “I’ve never seen them before. Is that other boy okay? The one Lieutenant Christensen said was in a coma?”
“We don’t know yet,” Aidan told her.
