Susan gasped. “I knew who she was. I knew her as Carey Jones. Muffett must have been her maiden name. Dave, that’s my medallion.”
Susan turned away from the scene. These people had so much to live for, and in a blink of an eye, their lives were snatched from them. What drove this maniac? Surely, he was crazy. Sane people didn’t go around killing each other for the fun of it. There had to be a reason, a common connection. What were these people to him? So far, they had all attended the same school, grown up and been killed in the same neighborhood,
Susan knew the police were checking former students, but you couldn’t question someone without cause. A few had come forward, friends who had stayed in touch and felt the loss of the victims.
These people weren’t friends with each other. Most of them hadn’t even been in the same class. They knew each other from back in their school yard days.
Susan left to write the story, oblivious to the crowd that had gathered. She didn’t see Ray until he stood next to her, and she jumped when he touched her arm.
“Hey, Susan, need a ride?”
“Oh, uh, oh.” She shook his hand off her arm. “No, I have a car, thanks. Did you get some pictures?” She didn’t want to sound too unfriendly — after all, she still had to work with him. He explained he had heard the call on his scanner while he walked her to Dave’s car.
“Hey, new car?” He opened the door for her.
“Huh?” Susan was so used to using Dave’s car that she didn’t even notice it. “Oh. No, it belongs to a friend.” She slammed the door, cutting off further conversation, and pulled away, leaving Ray scratching his head.
Driving to her apartment frustrated, confused, and full of contempt, Susan tried to sort out her feelings. There’d be another message waiting for her. He’d be gloating like he always did. He thought he was smarter than the cops, leaving virtually no clues as to his identity.
It had to be someone familiar with crime scenes and the new technology. He didn’t leave even a smidgen of trace evidence. It was almost as if he wiped the crime scene clean. What drove him? What horrible anger inside his head made him commit these crimes against innocent men and women?
She believed it had something to do with his past, maybe from his childhood. Many killers were driven by traumatic experiences from their youth. What horrible thing happened that led him to kill?
She went into her apartment, sat down, opened her laptop, stared at it, and her mind went blank. The image of Carey Muffett Jones wouldn’t release her. The long, blond hair tangled with leaves and her jeans, ripped and covered with dirt, indicated she had been dragged. Carey had been killed elsewhere, her body dragged, even though there weren’t any marks on the ground. The killer took great care in cleaning up the scene.
Little Miss Muffet she wrote, stopped, and stared at the words.
Her heart wasn’t in it. She had seen too much, was too personally involved — something a good reporter knew not to be. She stood and walked around the small apartment, her mind working overtime. Her stomach tightened, and nausea rose to her throat.
Every time she closed her eyes, the vision of Sally Arnold popped into her mind. Her hair had the same tangled appearance, her jeans the same tears. Was she also killed someplace else and her body positioned near the old warehouse? Shaking the image from her mind, she went back to her laptop, sat down, and began typing.
The bright moon cast shadows on the body of Carey Muffett (Jones), age 31, the latest victim of the nursery rhyme murderer. The cause of death has not been determined, but from bruises on her neck, police suspect strangulation. The victim clutched the nursery rhyme, “Little Miss Muffett,” in her hand.
Susan stopped typing. She couldn’t give too much away. She wanted to scream in the headlines for whoever was doing this to turn himself in — he was sick. Shaking herself, she continued the story with a few more details, hit the send button, and poured herself a cup of stale coffee left over from dinner.
The message light blinked rapidly on her answering machine. She ignored it, not wanting to hear the gravelly voice, boasting of his latest victim. There had to be something the police were missing, something to identify this monster.
Was it a cop? She curled up on the chair, leaned her head back, and fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dave kissed her awake and poured them each a fresh cup of coffee.
“You sleep sound.”
Stretching her legs, she stood and went to shower. She couldn’t believe she had slept in the chair all night.
When she finished, Dave stood next to the answering machine. She nodded, and he hit the playback button. She didn’t really want to hear this, wanted to block out the sound of the raspy voice.
“X shall stand for playmates ten, V for five stout stalwart men. I for one, as I’m alive. Who’s the next to take a dive?”
Dave replayed the tape, pulled it out, put it in an evidence bag, and tagged it.
Susan opened her computer and typed in the words of the latest rhyme. “This is too much. Now he’s talking in riddles again.”
She read the words over and over. “Were these people playmates? Is he going to kill ten of them? I remember this poem. It’s how we leaned Roman Numerals, except for the last part. Who’s the next to take a dive? Is this a clue how the next one is going to die? At a swimming pool? Lake? Off a diving board?”
Dave sat next to her and stared at the screen. “This guy has me completely baffled.”
The phone rang, and Susan shuddered. Please, not twice in a row. The machine picked up, and her mother’s voice came over the line. “Susan, it’s me. Mom.”
Susan grabbed the phone. “Mom, how are you?”
“I’m good. Susan, I’m worried about Clare.”
“Why, what’s wrong?” Susan’s legs went weak. “Is she sick? Mom, what’s wrong?”
“I mean this whole thing about the divorce. Clare’s not strong like you and Kate. I don’t think she can live alone.”
Susan sank down into a chair. Was that all? Darn, her mother scared her. She thought something horrible had happened. “She might surprise you, Mom. Clare’s a lot stronger than anyone gives her credit for. Besides, she’s pretty much been living alone for years.”
“Yeah, like when she almost passed out when your father got shot? That girl doesn’t have a strong bone in her body.”
“And you’re telling me this why?”
“I need your help.”
Susan didn’t like the sound of this. “With what?” She was almost afraid to ask.
“I want her and the kids to move in here.”
Susan took a breath. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mom. For one thing, the kids would have to change schools, leave their friends. They’re going through enough with the divorce. They don’t need to deal with moving and changing schools, too.”
“Oh, maybe you’re right, but…”
“You know this is probably the best thing for Clare. She’s never lived on her own. I think she’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know, Susan. I don’t think she can handle it.”
Susan knew this wasn’t going to be easy. “Have you talked to Clare about it?”
“Yes.”
“And what did she say?” Susan knew exactly what Clare said. They had talked about it last week.
“She said no.”
“Then there you go. It’s Clare’s life, Mom. You have to let her live it. Clare’s not shy. If she needs help, she’ll ask. Besides, she’s so much more confident since she got her job.”
“Well that’s true, I guess. Even your father noticed that.”
“See? She’ll be fine.”
“Okay, then. How about you? How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Mom. How about you and Dad?” Susan wanted to hang up, but she couldn’t think of a way to do it tactfully. Dave lay down on the couch and winked at her.
“We’re fine. Listen, honey. Can you come here for a few days?”
&n
bsp; “I guess. When?”
“Now, tonight?”
“Tonight?” Susan looked at Dave. “Hold on a minute.” She moved the phone from her ear. “My mom wants me to come there for a couple of days. Can you pick me up there tomorrow night?”
“Sure. No problem. Just give me the address.” Dave looked up and moved a strand of her hair.
“Are you sure everything’s all right, Mom?” Susan didn’t have a good feeling about this. Her mother never asked her to spend the night.
“Everything’s fine. I’ll see you later.”
“Is everything okay?” Dave pulled her down next to him when she hung up.
“Yeah, just my mother being a mom.” Susan cuddled against him. She could fall asleep in his arms.
Boy, she had it bad.
She ran the tip of her finger across the stubble on his chin and up across his lips. Her heart did a flip. When had she grown so used to him being around? Maybe he’d be around a lot more. Giddiness overcame her, and she almost giggled aloud.
Great, now she was making a fool of herself.
Silly as it seemed, she was going to miss him.
Dave took her fingers and pressed them against his lips, opened his mouth slightly, and nibbled them one at a time. Heat smoldered deep inside her, right down to her toes.
Lord what this man did to her.
Somehow, she managed to stand. She needed to put some space between them. “I have to pack.”
* * *
Dave reproached himself as Susan walked away.
Damn it, what possessed him to do something so stupid? What was the matter with him? They had a good thing going here, and he almost ruined it. But damn, at that moment, he wanted to throw her on the floor and make love to her. Mad, passionate love.
He’d better get hold of himself. He didn’t need this. Especially not now. Hell, he was acting like a lovesick teenager.
He was getting in way over his head. Still, he was going to miss her.
Dave didn’t want to scare Susan, but he felt her life was in danger. And someone was still sending the roses. The partial print they found led nowhere. And how were they getting in? Her building was staked out, and Horace hadn’t seen anyone.
He had a murder to solve, and he needed to concentrate on that, not Susan. Besides, he still had to convince the chief she was innocent in all this. Even though Greenwood checked the date of the phone call and found out it was the date of the break in, he wasn’t completely convinced. Said he wanted to talk to Hill again. How or where was Hill getting his information? He had admitted to leaking the stuff about the bracelet. But Hill seemed to know more.
At least the chief lifted his suspension.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Susan drove to her mother’s with the radio blasting — something about the warm, fresh October air and driving with the windows rolled down prompted it. She turned the radio down when she pulled onto her mother’s street. Wouldn’t do to have the neighbors upset. Why her mother insisted she come over was beyond her. It wasn’t like her mother to sound so mysterious.
Kate pulled in the driveway right behind her. Well, that was nice. She didn’t know Kate was coming. Or was it nice? Now she was really worried. Either her mother had some big plan up her sleeve, or something was drastically wrong. Susan shook her head while she got out of the car and followed Kate into the house.
“What’s going on, Kate? I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
Kate shrugged. “It’s as much a surprise to me as it is to you.”
“Oh good, you’re both here.” Martha Weston hugged Susan and then Kate.
“Okay, Mom, what’s going on?”
“What do you mean? Can’t a mother ask her daughters to spend some time with her?”
The feigned innocence didn’t fool Susan. Her mother was too crafty for that. Susan cocked her head and looked at her mother.
“Oh, okay. I need your help with something. Clare will be here soon, and we’ll sit down and discuss it together.”
“I’m not helping you talk Clare into moving in here.” Susan put her overnight bag in the corner. “I told you that on the phone.”
“Neither am I,” Kate said. “We already discussed this.”
If their mother didn’t believe it, all she had to do was look at the expression on Kate’s face. Even she wouldn’t cross Kate when she got that look.
“No, no, it’s not about that. Come in and sit down, for goodness sake. We can’t be standing out here in the hall.”
“Where’s Dad?” Susan glanced into the living room. Normally, her father was laid back on his recliner, either watching TV or reading the newspaper.
“He went bowling, which is another reason I wanted you to come tonight. I don’t want him to hear us talking.” Martha smiled. “Would you like a cola or something to drink?”
“Sure, I’ll have a cola.” No point trying to get her mother to talk about it until Clare got there. If nothing else, her mother was stubborn. When she set her mind on something, it was hard to change it.
Finally, Clare came in. “Hi, everyone. Okay, Mom, what’s the big secret that you couldn’t tell me over the phone?”
“My goodness, Clare, come in and sit down. Relax a minute. Would you like something to drink?”
Clare walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a cola. “Anyone else want one?”
Susan held her glass up. “Already taken care of.”
“Kate?”
Kate shook her head. “Okay, Mom, we’re all here. Don’t keep us in suspense. Is everything okay?”
“Just sit down. All of you. Yes, everything’s fine. I have something I wanted to run by all of you together.”
Susan sat down next to Kate. Thank God everything was okay. She let out her breath. She had suspected the worst. “Uh oh, Mom wants to run something by us. That can mean only one thing — trouble!”
“Well, your father and I were talking, and…well, to be honest, we’re thinking of buying a home in Florida.”
Susan stood. “What do you mean buying a home? You mean you’re moving?”
“Now, don’t get your panties in a twist. It’s not a permanent move. We’d just go for the winter.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Kate said.
Susan shook her head. Kate would. She thought everything her parents did was a great idea.
“Your father and I can’t handle the cold weather anymore. And the snow makes it so hard to get around.”
“When you say winter, exactly what does that mean?” Susan didn’t like the idea at all, but she could understand it. Winters seemed to be getting colder. And Florida was heavenly. Heck, she’d move there herself if she could.
“We wouldn’t leave until after the holidays, probably not until the first week of January.”
“Until when?” Clare finally spoke up.
“We’d come back in April or May.”
Kate walked to her mother and kissed her cheek. “Great idea, Mom. You and Dad deserve it. I don’t blame you. I hate winter, too.”
“So, I’m curious, why didn’t you want Dad to hear this conversation? Why didn’t you tell us together?” Susan still didn’t care for the idea, but she understood it.
“Well, to be honest, if you disagreed, I probably wouldn’t do it. We’re still just talking about it. We haven’t made any decisions.”
“You really wouldn’t do it if we objected?” Guilt suddenly overwhelmed Susan. What kind of selfish person was she to keep her parents from enjoying life?
“Only if you all objected.”
“Well, Kate thinks it’s great, and so do I. Heck, it’ll give me another place to visit. Where in Florida are you talking about?” Susan joined Kate next to her mother and gave her a quick hug.
“Probably the Fort Myers area. Stella and Jack are flying down with us to look at some places next week.”
“So that’s it. No more discussion? What about us? What about your grandkids?” Clare crossed her arms over he
r chest and leaned back. “I’m not crazy about the idea.”
“You’re living your life the way you want. Let Mom and Dad enjoy their life, too. Besides, you’ll be back every summer, right, Mom?” Their mother needed their support, and she, for one, was going to give it.
“Of course we will, and we’ll be here for all the holidays. Clare, I’ll miss all of you, but your father just can’t handle the winters here anymore.”
Susan threw Clare a look. It wasn’t like Clare to be so selfish. Of course, Clare was going through a bad time, with the divorce and all. But heck, their parents weren’t leaving for a couple of months, yet. So why had her mother wanted Clare to move in?
“What about the house here?”
“Well, my original thought was to have Clare and the kids move in with us, but she nixed that idea. I figured they could keep it up while we were in Florida.” Martha wiped the counter while she talked. “So I guess we’ll put it up for sale. Any buyers?”
“Actually, I might be interested in buying it,” Kate said. “But then where will you and Dad live when you’re here? I mean, you’re welcome to stay with me. The house is plenty big enough.”
“What do you mean, you might be interested? Kate Weston, what are you saying? What about your quilt shop?” Susan hit her sister’s arm.
“I’m thinking about moving back.”
“What? Get out. When, and more importantly, why?”
“Just an idea I’m tossing around.”
“That’s wonderful.” Martha hugged Kate. “But are you sure you’d want this house? I mean, it’s not your style, at all.”
“So what you were asking, then, is if I wanted to buy your house.” Susan shook her head. What the heck would she do with a house? Her apartment was too big sometimes. Of course, if Dave were to move in with her… Well, that would be different.
Lord, what was she thinking? She shouldn’t be having these thoughts.
“Well, it was a thought. It’s time you settled down, Susan.”
Oh no, not another lecture. “Why should I settle down? How about Kate? She’s older than me.”
“Hey, no fair. Don’t start picking on me.” Kate poured more cola into her glass.
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