by Alexa Grace
“What about the letter?”
“It was interesting that he chose David, the author of the Psalm 109, which calls upon God to destroy his enemies in the most horrible ways. Note that David not only sought the punishment of his enemy, but also the painful consequences brought on his family. Your unsub may have studied the Bible a great deal to discover this psalm to justify his actions. It’s also possible that your guy is a religious fanatic with an ‘eye for an eye’ mentality.”
“To say I was disappointed the lab didn’t find DNA or fingerprints on the letter is an understatement.”
“Although the lab didn’t find DNA or prints, it is still significant in that someday it will provide the proof you need to arrest him, if you find another letter or similar writings on his property.”
“Yeah, if I ever get a suspect to search.”
“You will, Cam. I just hope you find him before he does his worst.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Robynn
Just because Robynn Burton agreed to interview Kaitlyn Reece for Cam Chase didn’t mean she had to like it. Conflict of interest, she understood, but did the interviewee have to be the sister of one of the Gamers’ murder victims? Evan and Devan Lucas may have killed seven young women, but it didn’t end there. There were two or three times that number of victims left behind, whose lives had been made a living hell, thanks to two sick, teenaged boys who made murder a game.
Robynn felt nothing but compassion for the families of victims. That’s what made this case difficult. One of the grieving may be seeking his or her own justice. And it was the job of law enforcement officers like Robynn and Cameron Chase to put a stop to it before someone got hurt.
She drove through a black iron security gate and onto the long paved driveway leading to the Chase home. Robynn marveled at the beauty of the grounds, which looked more like a state park than a residence. A morning spring shower had left the plants glistening like jewels. There was a thicket of trees, branches covered by buds, on either side of the driveway. Shafts of light speared through the trees, reminding Robynn of walks she used to take as a child with her foster mom long ago.
Soon a massive redwood and stone house appeared, looking more like a nature lodge than someone’s home. A series of long tinted windows graced the front and side of the house, opening it to the surroundings. Robynn, who’d always lived in town, wondered what it was like to live in such a grand place at one with nature. By the time she parked her vehicle and gathered her things, Gabe Chase was waiting for her, his muscular arms folded across his chest. The good looks gene was alive and well in the Chase brothers. However, this Chase brother looked very annoyed, which was not a surprise.
“Good morning, Gabe.”
“Can’t say I feel the same.” He scrubbed a hand across the roughened stubble of his face in frustration.
“Look, Gabe, I’m not exactly thrilled about having to interview Kaitlyn, either. But she has to be interviewed, even if it’s just to rule her out as a suspect. It’s a conflict of interest for Cameron to do it, so he asked me.”
“Just make it quick and as painless as possible. Kaitlyn is grieving for Abby, the sister Evan and Devan Lucas took from her. She’s been through enough.”
Robynn nodded. “I understand.”
“Just so you know, I think it’s ludicrous to think of Kaitlyn as one of the suspects for crimes against the Lucas couple. She’s one of the kindest people I know. This is a woman who avoids stepping on ants. Do you really think she could coat a large rock with animal blood, let alone thrust it through a glass window? It’s just not in her DNA to harm animals or people.”
Robynn angled her body toward the front door. “Thanks for sharing that, Gabe. But I still have to interview her.”
Taking the hint, Gabe led her inside the house into a huge room that held a wall-to-wall stone fireplace on one side and a bank of windows on the other. Two sofas faced each other over a dark wood coffee table in front of the fireplace, and several comfortable chairs were grouped together near tables with lamps. Various magazines and books lay on the tables. Overhead was a soaring ceiling with maple beams.
“Your home is amazing.”
“The house belongs to all three of us, Brody, Cam and me. It was built by my parents and was intended to become a nature lodge one day when they retired. The house is divided into six suites. Kaitlyn and I live in one upstairs, and Cam has a suite down here. Soon we will start construction on the home that Kaitlyn and I are building. Our parents always wanted their grandchildren to grow up on this land together. My brothers and I will make that happen.”
“So for now this is the only structure on the property?”
“No. There’s a guest house in the back that my parents named the ‘Honeymoon Cottage.’ It was a wedding present to my mom from my dad. They lived there while the house was being built. Brody was born while they lived in the cottage. Brody and Carly live there now, and when they return from their honeymoon, they will call it home.”
“I see. How much property is here?” Robynn was in awe. She’d never visited such a massive and beautiful place.
“We have three hundred acres of woods, hills, valleys, a fishing lake we stock, and miles of running or walking trails. We like our privacy. No hunting is allowed on our land. The only thing we aim at wildlife is our cameras.”
Kaitlyn entered the room with a large brown dog. “Hello, Detective Burton.”
“Please, call me Robynn.”
“Okay, Robynn. Won’t you please sit down?” Kaitlyn waved her hand toward the sofas and sat down across from Robynn, the dog sitting erect at her feet.
Robynn had never been an avid dog lover. She’d seen too many K-9s take down suspects. This one was making her a little anxious. Its eyes hadn’t left her since it entered the room.
“I just brewed some fresh coffee. Would you like a cup?” Kaitlyn offered.
“Yes, thank you. That sounds great.”
“I’ll get it,” Gabe said, over his shoulder, as he left the room.
Robynn lay her briefcase on the floor next to the coffee table and returned her attention to Kaitlyn. “Tell me about your dog.”
Kaitlyn let out a sigh, as if she were relieved to be asked to talk about something pleasant. Smiling, she stroked the dog affectionately. “This is Godiva. Gabe and I found her in a box someone placed in the middle of a highway. Godiva belongs to both Gabe and me, but she’s become the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Robynn couldn’t help but warm toward the dog when she cuddled against Kaitlyn’s leg as she patted her head. “I think she feels the same way about you. Why did you name her Godiva?”
Kaitlyn’s smile widened and the dog curled up at her feet. “The vet said she was a Chocolate Labrador Retriever, and Godiva is my favorite kind of chocolate. She’s a loyal dog and smart, too. She just started training with Frankie Douglas-Hansen to become a search dog, like her Giant Schnauzer, Hunter.”
“No kidding?”
Kaitlyn looked like a proud parent. “Godiva is just beginning her training, but Frankie said that last week she tracked a handkerchief with Gabe’s scent that was hidden under a rock.”
Gabe walked into the room wearing a chef apron and carrying a large tray, which he set down on the coffee table between the sofas. On the tray was a carafe of hot coffee, two mugs, a small pitcher of cream and bowl of sugar, along with a basket of blueberry muffins. “Enjoy, ladies.” He poured hot coffee into the mugs.
Watching the muscular man as he left the room, Robynn picked up her mug to sip her coffee. “Does he always run around in a chef apron?”
“Only when it’s his turn to cook. Each of us takes a turn to make dinner. He’s putting some things together for tonight’s meal before he leaves for his office. I think he’s making a potato salad to go with the steaks we’re grilling.”
“Great system.”
“It’s kind of a tradition. No matter how hectic our days have been, we sit down to a good meal with th
e rest of the family for dinner. My family was never all that talkative, so I really enjoy our evening meals. We each share what’s happened during our days. Law enforcement is such a demanding job and it’s good for Carly, Brody, Cam, and Gabe to have a place to vent.”
Robynn noted the opportunity to segue into the interview. “What about you, Kaitlyn? Do you need a place to vent?”
“If you’re talking about my work as an elementary teacher, then the answer is sometimes. There are times when the children in my class tell stories of their home life that break my heart. If you’re referring to the support group I helped start for families of murder victims, the answer is still yes. I’m grieving for my sister, and it helps to talk with people who have lost their loved ones the same way I lost Abby.”
“Tell me about your support group.”
“Margaret Bennett, a mental health counselor, heads the group, which provides families of murder victims some emotional support in dealing with their terrible loss.”
“But your particular support group is a little special compared to most groups that support murdered victims’ families, right?”
Kaitlyn’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment Robynn thought she might not answer her question. But she did. “Our group is made up of families of the seven young women who Evan and Devan Lucas, the Gamers, tortured and murdered. We understand what those who have never lost a loved one to violence cannot. Each of us knows what the other is going through because the same teenaged sociopaths senselessly snuffed out the life of a daughter, sister, mother, or wife belonging to someone in the room. We understand because we are each experiencing the same kind of nightmare, thanks to the same perpetrators.”
Robynn waited for a moment and then asked, “You appear angry, Kaitlyn. Are you?”
“Damn right, I’m angry. Thanks to those little bastards, I will never see or talk to my sister again. Have you ever lost someone you loved to violence?”
“No, I haven’t.”
Kaitlyn’s eyes filled with tears. Her chin quivered and she swallowed hard. “Then you cannot possibly understand. Sometimes all you can do is cry and grieve. You become so sad you don’t recognize yourself. At other times, you are so angry you want to hit something. It isn’t fair Evan and Devan died before going through the justice system. There is a void for us now that will never be filled. If there is such a thing as closure, we were denied that.”
“What about the other members of your support group? Are they angry, too? If so, how do they express their anger at meetings?”
“Are you asking me what they talk about at the meetings?”
“Yes, I suppose I am.”
Kaitlyn bristled. “If you want to know what makes them angry or sad, ask them. I won’t violate their privacy like that. What is said at those meetings is confidential, which is why people are so open to sharing. It’s unfair to ask me to talk about their pain. I can’t believe you and Cam have them listed as your damn suspects. Seriously?”
“We have reason to believe that the person who is harassing Tisha and Bradley Lucas is a member of your support group.”
“Well, their names have never come up in meetings, if that helps. Their sons’ names, yes.”
“How do you feel about the Lucas couple?”
“Sympathy. Pity. They not only lost their sons, they have to live with the shame of knowing the crimes their boys committed. I put myself in their places. What would I do if the children I adored committed horrific acts against other people? I’m not sure I could handle that, and I wonder how Tisha and Bradley are coping. But am I angry with them for raising two murderers? Do I hate them because their sons killed my sister? No. I think they loved their sons and did the best they could to raise them to be good men. What was broken in their sons was not something that was their fault.”
Robynn nodded. She didn’t believe for a minute that Kaitlyn Reece was capable of the kind of hatred and anger being aimed at Tisha and Bradley Lucas. But her job was to interview her, so her questions continued. “I have to ask you where you were on April tenth.”
“Is that the date the bloody rock was thrown through their front window?”
“Yes.”
Dark and hot, Kaitlyn’s eyes narrowed. “It’s insulting that you would think I threw a bloody rock through anyone’s window. I’m a third grade teacher, not a discus-throwing vandal.”
Robynn got out a notepad and ink pen. “I have to ask the question.”
“I had parent-teacher conferences that ran late and then I met Gabe for dinner at Mollie’s Cafe. Her daughter, Hailey, waited on our table. We had the roast beef dinner special. Anything else you want to know?”
“A couple more dates. Do you remember what you were doing on April seventeenth?”
“Undoubtedly, that’s the date of Bradley and Tisha’s mailbox fire. I was home alone grading papers and watching television. Gabe was doing surveillance for a new client, and Cam wasn’t home. Wait a minute, Godiva was here with me. She can account for my whereabouts.”
Robynn ignored the sarcasm, and jotted the information down. “The Bradley business offices were vandalized yesterday. I trust you were teaching at the elementary school.”
“Yes. I can produce twenty-eight third grade witnesses if you like.”
Slipping the notepad into her briefcase, Robynn prepared to leave. “That won’t be necessary.”
Moving toward the door, she stopped and glanced back at Kaitlyn. “I’m sorry about your sister, Kaitlyn. And I’m sorry I had to ask you these questions. I hope you understand it’s a part of my job to help Cameron remove you as a suspect.”
Kaitlyn stood with her arms crossed defensively across her chest, saying nothing, her dog alert by her side.
Closing the door quietly behind her, Robynn descended the front porch steps and headed to her car, only to see a tall, hard-muscled man leaning against her front car door.
“Well, if it isn’t Sergeant Cameron Chase. Couldn’t you wait until I wrote my report about Kaitlyn’s interview?”
An easy smile played at the corners of his mouth as his dark eyes swept over her appreciably. “If I waited for the report, I wouldn’t get to see you.”
Finding it impossible not to return his disarming smile, she felt a warm glow flow through her body. Feelings she shouldn’t have bubbled just below the surface, and if she weren’t careful, she’d find herself in his arms. Over time, Cameron Chase had communicated his attraction to her loud and crystal-clear, making her extremely conscious of his virile appeal. It took everything she had to fight that pull.
Acting on her attraction to Cameron Chase could be perilous to the career she’d worked so hard to build. Five percent of the state police demographics were female. That meant Robynn had had to work especially hard to get where she was with the male-dominated law enforcement organization. Starting out as a trooper, she’d had to prove herself repeatedly as she worked her way up to sergeant, supervising a team of detectives.
Robynn credited the first key element of her success as her ability to defuse potentially violent situations with her communication skills. It was a skill many of her male counterparts did not possess, and upper management took note.
The second key element of her success was her ability to steer clear of personal involvements at work. Law enforcement was a tight community, in many ways like a family. This worked for and against female officers. Extremely private, she kept herself out of the rumor mill, and had a personal code against dating men in law enforcement. While it was essential that male officers had her back, it was critical that they viewed her as someone who could hold her own and had their back in return.
Robynn gave herself a mental shake and got down to business. “You can take Kaitlyn Reece off your suspect list, if she was ever on it.”
“You’re right. I never seriously considered Kaitlyn our revenge vandal, but she had to be interviewed. The media would have had a field day if they ever discovered I didn’t have someone interviewed because she was a famil
y member.”
“But she’s not really a family member yet.”
“Close enough. My brother is nuts about her and eager to get her to the altar. I like her very much, and I just hope she’ll stop being so pissed at me soon. Makes for an uncomfortable home life.”
“Speaking of homes, yours is beautiful. The house is great, but the land is incredible. It reminds me of Deer Run State Park. I like to go hiking there when I have time.”
“Did Gabe tell you we have three hundred acres of woods, complete with small streams and a lake? Great place to hike.” Cameron moved aside and opened her front door.
“Hand me your things.” Once he placed her briefcase on the passenger seat, he closed the door. Cameron held out his hand to her.
Robynn stepped back. “What are you doing?”
“You like to hike, and I want to show you the grounds. C’mon. We have miles of trails. I bet you can’t remember the last time you were able to enjoy a spring day as beautiful as this one. You’re probably stuck inside as much as I am, behind your desk with paperwork.”
He was right. The unrelenting caseload had kept her in the office for so long, she couldn’t remember the last time she was in actual sunlight, instead of the glare of fluorescent lighting. She should say no. Being alone with Cameron Chase was not on her list of good ideas. But before she could refuse, he grasped her hand and led her toward the back of the house.
“Okay, but I can’t stay long. I have to get back to the office.” She liked, maybe too much, the feel of the calluses on his palms and fingers as he gripped her fingers. The mere touch of his hand made her skin tingle, so she pulled hers away and stuck it in her trouser pocket.
