Killer Insight

“We found a woman on the road,” Meghan told her. “She’d been attacked and kidnapped, but she escaped and flagged us down. Then he started shooting at us!”

Cassidy shot Bryce a look. “It’s true then? I’ve heard people saying someone escaped the Back Roads Killer. The whole hospital has been in an uproar about it since the call came in.”

Bryce nodded. “It is true. Her name is Lucy Sanderson. She’s an FBI profiler. I asked her to come to town to help me prove Clint’s innocence. Instead, she was nearly killed by that maniac.”

Cassidy examined his ear. “It’s only a graze. You don’t even need stitches. I’ll bandage you up, and you can head home.”

“Daddy, can’t we stay and check on Lucy? I want to make certain she’s okay.”

He had the same concern. “We will, Meghan. I want to know too. Besides, I’m the one who invited her here. I feel responsible.”

A commotion in the lobby caused Cassidy to push back the curtain. Several reporters with TV cameras and sound equipment were setting up in the waiting area. Cassidy groaned. “The newspeople are here already. That was quick.”

He stood and pulled on his jacket. “News spreads fast in this town. Wait until they learn she’s with the FBI.” He turned to Cassidy. “Thanks for patching me up. Do you know where they took Lucy?”

“Down the hall to the last room on the left.” She grabbed his arm, pulling him back from barreling ahead. “Bryce, Meghan really shouldn’t be here around this craziness. Shouldn’t you take her home?”

Cassidy was always his voice of reason, but Bryce knew his daughter was too kindhearted to be able to leave without making sure Lucy was okay first. “I will after we know Lucy is okay.”

The disapproving look on her face told him she didn’t think he was making the smart choice to drag his thirteen-year-old daughter along with him, but she didn’t argue the point.

He grabbed Meghan’s hand and followed Cassidy down the hallway as Jim Ross, a detective with the local task force set up to find the Back Roads Killer, stepped in front of the reporters and issued a statement about the night’s events.

Cassidy stopped in front of the door. “Wait here. I’ll go inside and see if the doctor is still with her.”

Bryce agreed and pulled out his cell phone, trying his brother again while they waited. Once again, the call went straight to voice mail. Where was Clint, and why wasn’t he answering his phone?

Lucy had been frightened when she woke up in the hospital with no memory of how she’d gotten there. But then the pieces started coming back to her. The blitz attack. Being beaten and dumped into the trunk of a car. Escaping and being shot at. And the handsome marine and his daughter who’d rescued her.

The nurse spoke in a hushed tone to another nurse, then walked to her bed. “You’ve got some people wanting to see you. Are you up for it?”

Lucy nodded. She owed her life to Bryce Tippitt and his daughter, and she was anxious to hear if they were both all right.

Meghan hurried into the room, followed by Bryce and another man she didn’t recognize. Meghan rushed to the bed and threw her arms around Lucy. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Lucy was surprised by the affectionate act, but assured her she was fine.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Bryce said, standing beside her bed, his head cocked in a concerned manner as his steely blue eyes watched her.

“I owe you my life, Bryce Tippitt. You and your daughter.” She reached for his hand and clasped it, a comfortable warmth flowing through her.

“I’m glad we were there to help.”

Meghan beamed with pride as the other man stepped forward.

“Ma’am, I’m Detective Jim Ross, head of the Back Roads Killer task force.”

She shuddered at the name they’d given this offender. The Back Roads Killer. It seemed to fit. She’d met him and nearly become his latest victim.

“I’d like to ask you what you remember about the attack.”

“We should give you some privacy,” Bryce stated, pulling his hand from Lucy’s, but her instincts kicked in and she pulled it back.

“Please don’t leave me.” It was an irrational request that came out of nowhere, but after what she’d endured tonight, she felt better having this handsome almost-stranger around at least until she got her bearings again. Her safety seemed to depend upon his presence. His daughter’s words replayed in her mind. You’re safe now. He’ll protect you. He used to be a marine.

He hesitated, and she realized it was too much to ask. He had somewhere else to be, and she was imposing on his time. He had his daughter with him, and she suddenly realized he needed to see to her. She pulled her hand away and started to take back her request when he tightened his grip.

“I’ll stay for as long as you need.” He looked past Lucy to his daughter. “But you should wait outside.” He motioned one of the nurses, who stepped forward.

“I’ll take her. Come on, Meghan.”

The girl protested. “Do I have to? Can’t I please stay for a while longer?”

“No. This is police business.”

“Can I come back to see you?” Meghan asked, and Lucy was glad for it.

“Absolutely. Anytime.”

Once they’d left the room, Detective Ross turned to her. “I need you to tell me exactly what happened tonight.”

Lucy sat up in the bed, ignoring the pounding in her head and the pain snaking up her ankle. She needed to recall every detail as clearly as she could, knowing that the smallest thing could lead them to the killer. “I arrived in town about five this afternoon and decided to take a run before meeting Bryce. I realized it was getting late, so I turned around near an old gas station to head back to town. That’s when I noticed a car heading for me. It slowed down then stopped, and a man jumped out, grabbed me, then pinned me down and tried to inject something into my neck, but I managed to knock it from his hand so he hit me instead. I was barely conscious when he put me in the trunk of his car. I’m not sure how long I was in it, but I was eventually able to pop the trunk and run for help. That’s when I flagged down Bryce and Meghan.”

“Did you see the man’s face?”

She saw Bryce tense and stand at attention in response to the question. She strained to remember something notable about the man, but it had all happened so quickly. She shook her head. “I think there was something covering it. He was wearing a hat low, but something about his face was obscured.”

Bryce slouched again, and she felt his disappointment and remembered she was here because his brother was the main suspect in this case. He’d probably been hoping she could identify her attacker as someone else.

“Where did this occur?” Detective Ross asked.

“I—I don’t know. I’m not familiar with this town. If I can see a map, I might be able to pick out the area.”

Ross pulled up a map of town on his cell phone and handed it to her, pointing out where Mrs. Ferguson’s B&B, the starting point for her run, was located for her to reference. She outlined the route she’d run, then estimated the place where the man had abducted her. “Right there. I turned around at that old service station. I’d only run a few minutes when the car approached me.”

“I’ll send a team out there to look for evidence. What about the vehicle? Can you describe it?”

“It was a sedan. Four doors. Silver, I think. Other than that, I didn’t see much. It all happened so fast.” She saw the look he gave her as he jotted the information in a notebook, and her face burned with embarrassment. She was an agent from the FBI. She should have had better observational skills. Yes, it had been dark and happened quickly, but she was a trained professional and should have noticed more details. Then she remembered something important. “I scratched him.” Detective Ross glanced up at her, and Bryce stood at attention. “I scratched his arm. I felt my fingernails dig into it.” She raised her hand to look at her fingernails as excitement bubbled through her. “I have his DNA under my fingernails.”

Bryce’s eyes brightened, matching her own excitement. “This is it,” he said. “This is the proof we need to prove my brother’s innocence and finally track down the real killer.”

“I’ll go find a lab tech to collect the samples,” Ross said before walking out.

Bryce ran a hand over his face, beaming. She liked the way it looked. “You did it. When I asked you to come here and help me prove my brother’s innocence, this wasn’t what I had in mind, but you did it.”

“It’s not exactly what I had in mind either when I agreed to come.” But that didn’t matter anymore. While profiling had value and often helped identify suspects, physical evidence of her attacker could not be refuted.

Bryce pulled up a chair, careful not to touch her hands again until the lab technician could scrape beneath her nails. “I never told you how sorry I was about Danny’s death. I had no idea when I contacted you.”

His condolences caught her off guard, and she struggled to respond. She hadn’t handled his death well, and even now, the mention of his name filled her with grief and guilt. “I should have reached out to his friends. I just—I just couldn’t deal with telling people at the time.”

“How did it happen?”

She was always uncomfortable with knowing how much to share about what had happened. “It was a car accident. He hit another car—a van—with a family inside. No one survived.” She didn’t tell him the rest. He deserved to think better of his friend, and what would he think of her profiling skills if he knew Danny had been under the influence of drugs when he hit that van or that she’d had no idea about his addiction to painkillers? It didn’t say much about her profiling skills that he’d fooled her for months.

Ross reentered the room with a lab technician who got busy scraping beneath her nails and collecting the skin samples.

“Send these to the FBI crime lab,” Lucy told him. “I’ll call my boss and have them fast-tracked. But even then, it’ll be weeks before the results are back. In the meantime, I’d like to see the case files so I can work up a profile.”

Ross nodded. “I’ll have them copied and sent to you.”

“When he contacted me, Bryce said the task force is focusing on his brother as their main suspect. How solid is the case against him?”

“It’s mostly circumstantial. That’s why we haven’t been able to make an arrest yet. It’s also the reason I was able to convince my chief to allow you to consult on this case. He’s anxious for some solid leads. I told him you would be able to provide some. He wants to make an arrest before another woman dies.”

“This evidence will prove my brother is innocent,” Bryce insisted. “Your task force needs to turn its focus elsewhere.”

“Right now, we’re focusing on the leads we have. I’m heading out to the scene where you were attacked, Agent Sanderson.” He set his card on the tray in front of her. “Call me if you think of anything else.”

“I will.”

He nodded to them both then headed out. Moments later the lab technician finished collecting her samples and left.

Lucy glanced at Bryce, now so excited for this new development that could prove his brother’s innocence. She’d offered her services, but profiling wasn’t an exact science. She might not be able to completely rule out Clint Tippitt as a suspect. DNA might do that...or it might prove his guilt. She wondered if Bryce was ready for that outcome. Did he believe in Clint, or was he foolishly blind to the truth? She’d been that way with Danny—blinded by love to who he really was—and people had died because of it. She hoped Bryce Tippitt wouldn’t make the same mistake.

“I should go check on Meghan and make sure she gets home safely.”

“Of course. Go. She needs you.” She felt silly for her earlier exclamation asking him to stay. He had a responsibility to his daughter first and foremost. “I’ll be fine.”

“I would normally ask my friend Cassidy to take her. They spend a lot a time together. She’s like a mother to Meghan, but she’s working. I’ll take her to her friend’s house, then I’ll come back afterward and check on you.”

“You don’t have to. I’m fine, Bryce. Really.”

“I’ll be back,” he assured her. “In the meantime, I’m going to ask Cassidy to check up on you. She’s the nurse who took Meghan out of here earlier. She’ll take care of you.”

She assured him again she was fine, and he left. She had to admit she was glad he was coming back. Silly or not, she felt better with him around. She didn’t know if it was because he’d saved her life or because he was her only contact in town—or simply just her last, final connection to Danny. Whatever the reason, Bryce Tippitt and his daughter had made an impact on her. For the first time since Danny’s death, she didn’t feel quite so alone.

The door opened and a nurse entered, pushing a rolling cart loaded with bouquets of flowers. “These arrived for you,” she said happily.

Lucy was confused. “Who are they from? Who even knows I’m here?” She didn’t know anyone in town, and none of her friends or family back in Virginia could have known about the attack already.

“Honey, it’s already all over the news that you were attacked and managed to escape. These are from well-wishers all over town.”

She set a vase with flowers on the table beside the bed, and Lucy felt her eyes starting to water at the aroma of the fresh-cut flowers. “They’re lovely, but I have allergies. Could you set them by the window where I can see them, but they’re not close enough to aggravate my allergies?”

“Of course.” She moved the flowers to the corner of the room, then pulled out the cards and handed them to Lucy so she could look through them. “If the police are done with their questioning, I’ll see about getting you something for the pain so you can rest tonight. With no evidence of anything broken and only a mild concussion, the doctor says you’ll probably be released in the morning.”

Lucy was glad to hear it. She would also be glad to get out of this hospital bed and the gown and into regular clothes. Mostly, she would be glad to stop feeling like a victim and get back to finding the killer. Yes, they had his DNA, but it would take time for the lab results to come back, and until they did, the women of this town were still in danger.

She glanced at the cart of flowers. The scent was still tickling her nose, but they were far enough away to prevent a full-blown flare up. There were at least fifteen bouquets. Fifteen people who didn’t know her but had heard about her predicament on the news and felt compelled to send her get-well flowers. Those small acts of kindness spoke more about this town than the killer on the loose did.

Lucy picked up the stack of note cards that had accompanied the flowers and looked through them. Most of the names she didn’t know, but one stood out. Mrs. Ferguson, the owner of the B&B where she was staying, had sent her an arrangement. That was sweet—Lucy would be sure to thank her.

She flipped to the next card and the warm, comforting feeling she’d been floating on turned to chills. Beneath the buzzing bee symbol of the flower shop was a threat.

Next time you die.

Bryce dropped Meghan off at a friend’s house for the night, then booked it back to the hospital. He knew he didn’t have to stay with Lucy. The nurse had assured him she would rest most of the night. But he wanted to be there, since he was the one who’d brought her to town.

And it had nothing to do with the way her hand had felt so light and delicate in his. Nope. Nothing at all.

He tried to phone his brother again as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. There was still no answer from Clint, no response to his repeated text messages and no return call. He didn’t like it. Another woman had been attacked, and his brother was MIA. It wouldn’t look good if he couldn’t explain where he’d been. The least Bryce could hope for was that his brother was somewhere that ten or twelve witnesses could place him for the whole night.

He hated that his mind went there. A woman was attacked in his town, and he was worried about his brother’s alibi? It wasn’t right, but it was the situation they found themselves in now. But the situation had changed for the better thanks to Lucy. She’d gotten DNA evidence from the man who’d attacked her, evidence that would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it wasn’t Clint.

He headed to Lucy’s room and found Jim Ross talking to her, along with two members of his forensics team.

“What’s going on?” he asked as they were bagging up bouquets of flowers from a cart in the corner.

He noticed Lucy looked even paler than she had earlier, the bruise on her face darker and more pronounced. She held up an evidence bag with a card inside. “The nurse brought in all these flowers from well-wishers. This note was attached to one of them.”

He didn’t miss the way her hand shook as she held it out to him. He took the bag and looked at it, his blood going cold at the threat. “Do we know who sent this?”

“Not yet,” Ross told him. “The nurse removed all the cards from the bouquets, so we don’t even know which one it was attached to. I’m having my people bag all the flowers in case, and we’ll run the card for fingerprints to see if we get a hit. Right now, that’s all we can do. I’ve got most of my resources tied up at the abduction site gathering evidence. Once we’re done with that, we’ll interview the people at the flower shop.”

“I’ll do it,” Lucy volunteered.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ross countered. “You’re the victim.”

But she wasn’t backing down. She squared her shoulders as she locked eyes with him. “I’m also an FBI agent trained in interview and interrogation. I want to do this.” She pushed back the blankets and tried to stand. Bryce quickly helped her when her knees threatened to buckle. She clearly wasn’t up for this tonight.

“I’ll go with her,” Bryce suggested. “But the shop will already be closed tonight.” He glanced at Ross, who shrugged.

“Fine. Let me know if anything comes of it. Who would have a reason to threaten you?” Ross asked her.

“Besides the man who abducted and tried to murder me, you mean?”

“Yes, besides him.”

Lucy sighed and settled back down on the bed, giving up the pretense of trying to stand. Good. She didn’t need to push herself. “I don’t know anyone in this town and, to my knowledge, the only people who knew I was coming were you and Bryce. Has this perpetrator reached out to the police or media before?”

Ross shook his head. “No. We’ve never received any form of communication from him.”

“Then either learning the FBI was involved bolstered his ego, or else he meant this threat for me personally.”

“The news has been broadcasting that you’re FBI,” Bryce told her. Her attack and escape from the killer were all anyone in town was talking about tonight. He’d even had to spend several minutes at Meghan’s friend’s house chitchatting about it with her mother before he’d been able to leave.

“Still, it’s an unlikely scenario,” Lucy continued. “If he was interested in taunting the police, he would have established contact before now. He likely sees me as a loose end—the one that got away and can give evidence that might lead police to him—or else as a challenge.”

“Either way, you’re a target,” Bryce stated. He didn’t like that scenario. She was still in danger because of him, because he’d asked her to come here. It was his duty, his responsibility to keep her safe. “I’ll stay with you.”

“I can take care of myself,” she assured him, but he waved off her show of strength. She was in this mess because of him, and he had a duty to keep her safe. He owed it to her and to Danny, but most of all, he’d borne the responsibility of placing others in danger before, with terrible results. He wasn’t sure he could go through that again.

“I’m not leaving.”

She stared up at him, her eyes shining with gratitude and acceptance. “Okay, but only until I fall asleep. Then I insist you go home. The doctor will be releasing me in the morning. We’ll go interview the floral shop employees then.”

Ross nodded. “Great. Let me know what you find out.” The forensics team signaled they were done, and Ross turned to leave. “I’m heading back out to the abduction site. I’ll let you know if we find anything. I’ll also have those files we talked about sent to the B&B.”

“Thank you, Detective.”

Bryce extended his hand and shook Ross’s. “I appreciate all you’re doing,” he said, and he meant it. Ross hadn’t had to go to bat for him with the chief and allow him to bring in the FBI, but he had and he was always fair enough to look at all the leads before making any conclusions. Bryce wished all the officers on the force showed the same restraint.

The nurse arrived and gave her something to help her pain, and Lucy seemed to rest better after that. Once she was sleeping soundly, Bryce slipped from the room and took up guard duty outside her door.

He passed the time by continuing to try to reach his brother and looking up the details of Danny’s death. Something about the expression on Lucy’s face when she’d told him about the car crash had left him wondering. He was sure she’d been hesitating, holding something back, and he feared the worst as he scoured the internet for news about the crash that had killed Danny and a family in a van.

He found articles on the crash from the previous year. A family of four, including two children, were killed when another driver had barreled through a traffic light and crashed into them. The driver of the car was also killed, and found to be under the influence of prescription medication at the time of the crash.

So that was what she hadn’t wanted to tell him. Danny had been abusing prescription meds. Bryce sighed and rubbed a hand over his face as weariness weighed heavily on him. He’d known too many men, good men, who’d succumbed to addiction after suffering injuries in the service. As far as he’d known, Danny’s injuries during his last combat mission hadn’t been severe, certainly nothing that would have prevented him from returning after recovery. But he’d decided it was time to leave military life and focus on a career in law. The last time Bryce had spoken to Danny, he’d been excited about graduating law school and being hired by a criminal defense firm. He’d also been excited about planning a life with Lucy.

How easily it had all faded away.

He clicked on an image on his phone of him and Meghan taken only a few days after he’d returned home from his last mission as an SOA operator. It had been a rescue mission at an embassy and people had died, people he’d sent in to help the embassy workers. In an instant, his decision had cost three families their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers. It was a burden he had to live with, and one he didn’t shoulder lightly.

He would look after Lucy because he owed it to her for the danger he’d placed her in. But he had to be careful too. He recalled how enamored Meghan had been with the lovely brunette FBI agent. She’d already texted him twice since he’d left her at her friend’s house to check on her, and that was only after gushing about Lucy to her friend for several minutes after she’d arrived.

Yes, Lucy was turning out to be a fierce, amazingly strong federal agent, but that was all she could ever be in their lives. The press had called his SOA team heroes for acting to save lives, but his own government had labeled him insubordinate for not obeying their command to stand down and ignore the tragedy unfolding at the embassy. Lucy was a government agent, and Bryce had learned the hard way that his government could not be trusted—therefore Lucy could not be trusted.

No matter how her eyes seemed to twinkle at him.

TWO

Bryce arrived at the hospital the next morning carrying a suitcase. “I stopped by the B&B and asked Mrs. Ferguson to pack you some clothes from your room. I hope that’s okay.”