Lawman-in-Charge

“Yes.” She had to pull her thoughts together, having been distracted by the emotionally charged interaction between father and son. “It’s about the murder.”

He lifted a brow. “Yeah?”

She let out a breath in a soft sigh. “I’m sure you noticed the similarity between this most recent murder and the series of strangulations I worked on last year. Specifically, the choice of murder weapon.”

“The hollow-braided rope?” Luke asked.

She nodded. The rope disturbed her. Granted, the previous victims were all killed with a bright orange, brand-new rope, but still, could this really be a coincidence?

“You think we have some sort of copycat killer?” Luke guessed.

“It’s a possibility.” Megan glanced around, making sure they were alone. “Polyurethane hollow-braided rope is very common, especially here on a lake where there are lots of boats. And they come in all different colors. Why did the killer pick one that looks like it might be faded orange?”

“I don’t know.” Luke was frowning again. “We’re going to verify the color, since it was hard to tell for sure if it had been orange or not. But regardless, the details of the St. Patrick’s Strangler aren’t a secret. Not anymore.”

“I know.” She shivered, in spite of the warmth of the sun. “Paul Sherman is serving a life sentence in prison for killing my sister, and even though he denied killing any of them, he doesn’t have a chance at parole. I’m sure you would have heard about it if he’d have escaped from prison, right?”

“Yes,” he assured her. “I already checked. He’s still in custody.”

She felt light-headed with relief. “Okay, so if Paul Sherman is in prison, the person who killed Liza might have tried to imitate parts of his crimes.”

“But not all the details,” Luke argued. “He tossed Liza’s body into the lake. From what I remember, none of the other girls had been dumped in the water.”

“True. Sherman stalked his victims at Irish pubs and killed them after closing. All three of them were blonde, all three were strangled with a brand-new orange polyurethane rope, and their bodies were left within a stone’s throw of whichever Irish pub he met them at.”

There was a small pause. “I’m sorry about your sister.”

Her throat swelled with guilt and sorrow and she couldn’t speak, but she nodded. Seeing Katie’s dead body had been the worst thing she’d ever gone through, worse than losing their parents to a car crash four years earlier. The only good thing was that she’d helped find evidence linking Paul Sherman to the murder of her sister. Katie had clawed at his hands, not knocked out by the drug concoction he’d put in her drink. She’d found skin cells buried beneath her sister’s fingernails. The DNA evidence had helped convict him. He claimed to be innocent, but the jury had found him guilty of all three murders.

“I’ll have to review the trial transcripts,” Luke said in a low tone. “See if there are other similarities.”

“Good idea.” She was grateful he wasn’t ignoring her concerns. She couldn’t say why the faded hollow-braided rope bothered her so much. She couldn’t help wondering if the killer’s choice was significant.

Unless she was simply becoming obsessed, because of Katie. For all she knew, this was simply a crime of opportunity and nothing more.

If the killer was a copycat murderer, why not match all the details? Brand-new bright orange hollow-braided rope instead of old, faded stuff? Leaving the body at the crime scene?

Maybe she was making more out of the similarities than she should be.

“When do you want to start searching?” Luke asked.

She remembered the omelet she’d ordered. “Soon. I have food waiting for me inside. Give me twenty minutes.”

“All right, I’ll have my deputies waiting at the south shore where we found Liza’s body. You can let us know how to proceed from there.”

The way he deferred to her expertise impressed her. The sheriff was obviously a man who didn’t mind getting help when he needed it. And as far as she was concerned, they’d need all the help they could get to catch this guy. “Sounds good.”

He nodded and walked away, so she headed back inside the café.

Her food was cold, but she ate it anyway. She couldn’t help thinking about Luke. And his son, Sam. Despite what she’d overheard, especially the part where Sam had been the last one to see the victim alive, she really didn’t want to believe Sam was guilty of murdering Liza. As angry as the teen was, it was difficult to imagine him capable of murder.

Because he was the sheriff’s son? Maybe. Because she wanted to believe the best of him? Probably. Although she was forced to admit Sam seemed just as aloof and alone as his father.

Not that the ruggedly attractive sheriff was any of her concern. When her fiancé, Jake, had dumped her after Katie’s death, right when she’d needed him the most, she’d decided she was better off without men. Including tall, dark, handsome cops. Her main concern right now was to find the spot where Liza had been murdered.

There was always a clue. Sometimes the clues didn’t mean much by themselves, but in the end, the truth prevailed.

When she finished breakfast, Megan drove back to the south shore of the lake where Liza’s body had been found. True to his word, the sheriff had well over a dozen men waiting.

Since they all looked at her, she fell into the role of leading the investigation.

“We’ll split into groups of two,” she announced. “That way we can take our time and really search for clues. I’d rather have you pick up every small clue that might be evidence than overlook something important.”

Luke stepped up. “The victim was wearing a light blue tank top and denim cutoff shorts. She had long blond hair. A hard, clay-like substance was found embedded in the heel of her right shoe.”

The group of deputies and retired deputies, mostly men except for two younger women, all nodded solemnly, filing away the bits of potential evidence, and then split up as directed.

She and Luke split up. She paired herself with one of the deputies, named Adam. They started at the shore and then fanned out in opposite directions. The work was slow. She moved at a snail’s pace for fear of rushing over some minute piece of evidence. She found a long dark hair that reminded her of Luke’s son, Sam. She bagged it for evidence and marked the spot. She also found a thread, possibly a piece of denim, and followed the same routine. There were several empty bottles of Point beer, evidence of the partying she’d heard Sam talk about. She placed her third marker there before continuing her search.

Mostly, she found a lot of nothing. But she didn’t give up. Sheer determination kept her moving forward.

Her radio crackled a few hours later and she heard a female voice. “We found something! A large area where an obvious altercation took place. A small footprint that looks like it may belong to the victim and a piece of blue thread.”

Exhilaration filled her lungs. They must have found the scene of the crime. She swiped a sweaty arm over her brow and pressed the button on her radio. “Excellent work. Where are you?”

“We’re on the north shore. The suspected crime scene is about fifty feet from a tiny log cabin. There’s a red canoe tied to the dock on the lake.”

Megan’s radio slipped from her fingers, hitting the ground at her feet with a soft thud. Tiny log cabin with a red canoe. Her house. A wave of nausea dropped her to her knees.

Liza Campbell had been murdered fifty feet from her back door.

Luke stood beside Megan, both of them watching as the deputies took several photographs and bagged the evidence from the area where they believed Liza had died.

A stone’s throw from Megan’s backyard.

He slid a glance at Megan, who stared straight ahead, as if completely lost in her thoughts. She was pale, deep circles cutting a groove beneath her eyes. With her arms crossed over her chest, she seemed to be holding herself upright. He suspected a stiff breeze would have blown her over.

“You didn’t hear anything?” Luke finally asked, breaking the heavy silence. She didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge in any way that she’d heard him, so he repeated the question. “Megan? You didn’t hear anything last night?”

She shook her head slowly, turning to face him. “Not really. I had a nightmare, about Katie’s murder, and in my dream, Katie cried out in pain, fought her attacker—” Her voice broke, and she drew a deep, steadying breath. “Maybe it was Liza I heard and not Katie. I wish I knew for sure.”

“Do you have a time estimate?” He hated asking, hated the need to push her to relive the horror, but he suspected she had heard Liza, and it was her subconscious that put Katie in the role of the victim.

Her sister’s death obviously still haunted her.

He understood, considering he had a few problems of his own. Although he was much better now that he’d found his way back to God. He found himself wondering if Megan had the same spiritual support.

She rubbed a hand over her eyes. “Twelve-thirty, when I woke up and looked at the clock. But it seemed as if I heard Katie much earlier than that. Her struggle with the attacker lasted forever.”

He wasn’t so sure. Dreams had a way of seeming like hours, when in reality they were only a few minutes. Twelve-thirty was probably right on. If Sam was telling the truth, he’d left Liza about midnight. Liza must have been accosted as she headed for home.

But that didn’t explain how the killer had gotten Liza so quickly from the south shore, where the kids were partying, to the north shore, where the crime actually occurred. Or why. Why had he chosen this place, so close to Megan’s house, to kill Liza? Why hadn’t he picked something more remote? There was plenty of deserted lakeshore around.

Unless the killer hadn’t seen the house in the dark? Was he a stranger to the area? Would be a bit of a coincidence if the killer tossed the body in the water where it just happened to drift from the north shore to the south shore, right where the kids had partied around the bonfire.

Luke frowned. In his line of work, he didn’t believe in coincidences.

Had the killer watched them during the bonfire? Struck out at Liza at just the right time? He could imagine how that might have played out.

The guy hadn’t picked Liza by accident. No, he believed she’d been chosen on purpose. Either because this was personal, against her in particular, or because her long blond hair fit his profile. Especially if he was indeed a copycat killer.

He stood by Megan, silently supporting her, as his deputies finished with the crime scene.

The hour was close to dinnertime and he wanted to talk to Sam, yet hesitated to leave Megan alone. “Are you going to be all right here?”

“Sure.” The response came automatically.

“Megan.” He couldn’t leave her, not like this. He lightly touched her arm, feeling strangely concerned about her. “Is there somewhere else you can go? I don’t like you being here alone in this remote cabin fifty feet from where a murderer killed a young girl.”

She shivered beneath his touch, and he knew she was struggling to remain calm. “I’ll be fine. I don’t know anyone in the area to stay with.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to offer his place, but he knew that would be inappropriate. Besides, he still needed to talk to Sam, and he wouldn’t welcome an audience during his lousy attempt at being a father. Bad enough she’d heard him lose his temper this morning.

“How about the motel?” he suggested instead. “It’s located in the middle of town. Plenty of people will be nearby if anything happens. I can have the deputies cruise by on a regular basis.” The more he thought about the idea, the more he liked it. “Please? I’d feel better if you were someplace safe.”

“All right,” she finally agreed. And the flash of relief in her gaze proved she was as loath to stay in this remote cabin as he was to leave her there. “I’ll go to the motel, at least for tonight.”

“Good.” He couldn’t hide his satisfaction. “Thank you.”

“I—uh—need to pack an overnight bag.” She headed toward her front door. On the steps she paused, and then turned back to him. “Sheriff?”

“Luke,” he interjected quickly. “Call me Luke.”

She gave an almost imperceptible nod, her gaze serious. “Luke. The way Liza was killed right next to my cabin—do you think it’s possible the killer has specifically targeted me?”

FOUR

The dark apprehension shadowing her green eyes made him anxious to reassure her. “Megan, if he’s a copycat killer, he would stick to the same M.O. of targeting young blonde girls,” he gently pointed out. He didn’t like how close Megan’s cabin was to the crime scene, but he also didn’t want to make more out of it than the situation warranted. “And we don’t even know for sure that he is a copycat killer. Liza recently broke up with her boyfriend. Supposedly Sean Mathews is in Kentucky, but so far, we haven’t been able to verify his whereabouts.”

She worried her lower lip, not looking convinced.

“You know as well as I do that murders are committed, more often than not, by people close to the victim rather than by random strangers.”

“Yeah, I know the statistics,” Megan said slowly. “But the braided rope really bothers me.”

Luke couldn’t deny the resemblance to the St. Patrick’s Strangler bothered him, too. “You’re right, but considering the number of boats around here, it could also mean nothing. In a crime of opportunity, the boat tie may have been the most convenient, logical choice. It was old and faded, after all, not brand-new like the ones used by Sherman. Makes me think this murder might not have been premeditated. Regardless, it would be stupid to lock ourselves into one specific theory. As far as I’m concerned, all possibilities are wide open.”

There was a long pause as Megan seemed to consider his words. Then she straightened her spine, tilted her chin and immediately looked less like a victim and more like an investigator. “Smart thinking, especially this early in the investigation.” The corner of her mouth kicked up in a small smile. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be right back.”

He didn’t mind waiting, the various theories swirling around in his mind. He wasn’t just reassuring her, although he wouldn’t deny it was an added benefit. He seriously planned to keep all possibilities open. Especially since they hadn’t found Sean, Liza’s boyfriend, yet.

Especially since he was the interim sheriff and everyone would be watching and waiting for him to screw things up.

When Megan came back outside, he followed her little white Sunfire all the way into town until she was safely settled into her motel room. He’d requested one in the front, right in the center of the string of rooms.

“Thanks, Luke,” Megan murmured when she slid her key into the door of room number four.

He stuck his hands into his pockets, since he was tempted to reach out and touch her. “You’re welcome. See you in the morning.” Ignoring the twinge of regret, he walked back out to his squad car. Turning around, he headed in the opposite direction from town, toward home.

He had to stop thinking about Megan and concentrate on his son. Sam was the most important thing in his life. As much as he dreaded the confrontation, he and Sam needed to have a serious heart-to-heart conversation about his underage drinking.

The discussion with Sam didn’t go well. Partially because he was the one who did all the talking, while Sam sat sullen-faced and full of resentment. He lectured Sam on the perils of drinking, but Sam continued to deny he had a problem, claiming he normally only drank a couple of beers. Of course, even a couple of beers were illegal. But when Luke had finished his lecture, he was convinced his plea had fallen on deaf ears.

After Sam disappeared into his room, he pocketed Sam’s truck key as punishment and went outside for a few minutes to clear his head.

Tipping his head back, he gazed up at the stars.

Please Lord, guide me in the best way to approach Sam. I don’t believe he’s guilty of anything more than being foolish in his desire to fit in with the other kids. Please show him the way. And keep my son in Your care. Amen.

Megan stared at the television screen in her motel room, her brain unable to stay focused on the lame sitcom. She should be exhausted after being awoken in the middle of the night, but she wasn’t. The hour was still early, and the four walls of her room were already making her feel boxed in. She debated the wisdom of going to Rose’s Café for something to eat. The diner wasn’t far, just two blocks down the center of Main Street.

She rubbed her hands over her arms, trying to shake the deep uneasiness that had plagued her since the moment she’d gotten that call over the radio about finding the location of Liza’s murder.

Fifty feet from her cabin.

She barely suppressed a shiver. Especially knowing she must have subconsciously heard the attack, dredging up memories of Katie. But there was no reason to panic. The sheriff was right, there were many theories to consider, not least of which pegged Liza’s former boyfriend as the possible assailant.

Steeling her resolve to treat this like she would any other case, she picked up her purse and her cell phone and left the hotel room, making sure the door was securely locked behind her.

She shouldn’t have been surprised to discover the center of town was busy, especially on a Saturday night. The streets were teeming with tourists who’d converged upon their small lake town. The lights were bright, making her feel safe as she walked to Rose’s Café, hanging on to her purse the way she’d learned in downtown Chicago as she slid through groups of strangers.

Josie wasn’t behind the counter. A pretty young blonde was working back there instead, and she couldn’t help feeling a pang of disappointment. Josie might be a gossip, but at least she was a friendly face.

There was one last seat at the very farthest end of the café counter, so she slid into it gratefully. She ordered a veggie lasagna and sipped her water as she waited for her meal.

When a cell phone rang, it took her a minute to realize it was hers. Twice in one day. Had to be a record.

She winced a little when she saw Jake Feeney’s name flash on her screen. Great. Her former fiancé. It was a sign of how lonely she felt that she answered the call rather than letting it go to voice mail.

“Hi, Jake,” she greeted him. She was surprised he’d called; she hadn’t spoken to him since before the trial.

“Megan! I’m so glad you picked up. Guess where I am?”

She frowned at his dramatic question, drawing circles in the water ring from her glass with her finger. “Where?”

“Crystal Lake. I decided to come up to see you.”

Shocked, her jaw dropped as she tried to think of something to say. “Uh, wow, Jake, that’s nice, but really you should have called first. I’m—uh—not at home.” Which wasn’t a lie. She wasn’t at home. She was at Rose’s Café.

“I know I should have called.” Jake, as always, brushed aside her concern. From the background noise she could tell he was in a public area. “But come on, Megan, please? At least let me buy you a drink. I came all this way to see you.”

Yeah, he’d come all this way, uninvited. She rolled her eyes, glad he couldn’t see her. Really, his arrogance was amazing. She had no idea why she’d gone out with him, much less agreed to his spontaneous marriage proposal.

Spontaneous. Just like his showing up here unannounced. So typical of Jake. He was always one to give in to his impulses, without thinking things through. Amazing, considering he was a cop on the Chicago police force. But Jake was always reserved and serious on the job. Maybe that’s why he liked to break loose during his off time.

“I’m in the middle of dinner,” she said, as the cute blonde waitress slid a plate of food under her nose.

“After dinner, then. Meet me at Barry’s Pub, it’s right at the end of Main Street.”

She shouldn’t, but somehow the idea of going back to her minuscule motel room didn’t appeal. “All right,” she agreed, glancing at her watch. “Give me about thirty minutes.”

“Great! See you then.” He quickly hung up, as though afraid if she had a moment to think this through she’d change her mind.

She should change her mind, since getting back together with Jake wasn’t even a remote possibility. She’d met Jake during one of her cases and he’d asked her out immediately. He’d broken things off just as abruptly, shortly after her sister’s murder, claiming she was “obsessed.”

Those dark days were the most difficult time in her life, and he’d simply walked away.

She’d missed his support, the ability to at least talk to him about her work, the clues she’d pieced together to bring Paul Sherman to justice once and for all. But once the trial was over and Sherman convicted, she’d reluctantly admitted she hadn’t missed Jake, the man.

Being with Jake had been like riding a roller coaster. Exciting at times, but not something you wanted to do for the long term. Their ill-fated engagement wouldn’t have lasted, even without the stress of the trial.

As she ate her veggie lasagna, she thought about how odd it was that Jake had showed up now, after all this time. She would have bet her entire bank account that he’d moved on to someone else without a second thought.

So why hadn’t he?

Maybe her paranoia was rearing its ugly head again. She could be exaggerating the reason for his presence here. For all she knew, Jake had been in the area and in his usual impulsive way had decided to pop in to say hi.

Surely there was nothing wrong with having a soft drink with a friend?

She paid her tab, leaving a third of her meal on her plate, and then walked back outside. The pub was in the opposite direction from the motel, but not too far, so she set out at a brisk walk.

Inside the pub she paused, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting compared to the brightly lit street-lights outside. She saw Jake leaning against the bar, and when he caught her gaze and waved at her, she made her way toward him.

“Megan—” he caught her in a quick, hard hug “—I’ve missed you.”

“Hi, Jake,” she murmured, untangling from his embrace and wishing she could say the same. “What brings you to Crystal Lake?”

Instead of answering her question, he snagged the bartender’s attention. “What do you want to drink?” he asked.

She tempered a flash of impatience. Jake knew she didn’t drink alcohol. “Ginger ale, as usual.”

He grinned and shrugged. “Hey, you made a totally radical change by packing up and moving to Nowhereville, Wisconsin, so I figured I should ask.”

The bartender slid her soft drink before her and Jake waved a hand, indicating to put it on his tab.

“So how have you been, Megan?” he asked, leaning close. Too close.

She took a sip of her ginger ale, easing backward to provide more personal space between them and hiding a sense of discomfort. The moment she’d seen him, she’d known meeting Jake had been a mistake. “I really like it here, Jake,” she said, avoiding his question. “Crystal Lake is a nice town, and living near the lake is peaceful.” The locals hadn’t welcomed her with open arms, but she loved being away from the city.

Away from the memories.

He snorted and took a healthy slug of his beer. She had to struggle to prevent herself from wrinkling her nose in distaste. “Yeah, if you like small towns.” He flashed his most charming smile. “Look, Megan, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. I came up here to convince you to give me a second chance.”

She almost choked on her soft drink. What? Why? “Ah, I don’t know, Jake. I don’t think I’m ready to be involved with anyone right now.” The image of Luke’s handsome face flashed in her mind, and she knew the statement wasn’t exactly true. “I’m still figuring out how to get on with my life after losing Katie.”

He stared at her, and for a moment something ugly flashed in his eyes, but in a heartbeat the strange look was gone. “Are you sure I can’t convince you to change your mind?” he cajoled. “We had some good times, Megan. And I’ve changed. I swear I’m ready to settle down.”