“I’ve been studying these all day. There’s something inside the design, and I think that’s the most important item at the crime scene. I want to go through all the evidence collected at each scene. It might help me give you more of what to look for in a suspect.”
He went to the window and stared out at the people strolling on the sidewalk below. Most of them were aware of the killer stalking Houston’s streets, but none of them believed they could be victims. As of that moment, any woman in the city could be next.
“Have we figured out how he chooses them?” Billingsley glanced over at Mac.
“Not yet.” Mac growled low in his throat, frustration evident in the sound.
“We know he must follow them for some time before he takes them,” Tanner interjected. “The patterns of the crime scenes and the actual process of the killing speaks of an organized mind. Our killer doesn’t do this on a whim.”
Mac met his gaze with a raised eyebrow, and he smiled.
“I’m sure the investigators will come up with the connecting piece between the women before too long. Unfortunately I must admit I don’t think it’ll be soon enough to save our next victim. He’s already stalking her and will probably take her within the next two days or so.”
“Goddamn!” Billingsley shot to his feet. “We’ve got to get something on this man before we have mass panic and the women start carrying guns. We could have innocent men being shot for nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Tanner understood the captain’s anger and worry, but he also knew there was no way without some kind of miracle for them to get the identity of the killer before he took the next woman. It wasn’t optimal, but it was the realistic outlook, though Tanner would have preferred the miracle.
“We will. You just have to give your men and mine time. Very few of these types of cases go unsolved. Something will pop up, and our guy will make a mistake. Trust me, our men are the best at their jobs.” Sam spoke from where he sat in the corner of the room.
“How many more are going to die before we get him?” Billingsley paced Tanner’s office, dodging the other men and the furniture.
Tanner shrugged. “It’s hard to say. He’s gotten a true taste for this, and his need is growing. He killed one a month for four months, but the fifth only came two weeks after the last one. That’s why we’ll have another victim here soon. He’s escalating, and until we can get a witness or some other break in the case, we’ll have more deaths.”
“Fuck!” Billingsley rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I know it’s not your fault, Mac, or yours either, Wallace. It drives me crazy knowing the sick fuck walks the streets of Houston and gets off on killing women.”
“We’re with you, James.” MacLaughlin stood and clapped Billingsley on the shoulder while glancing over at Tanner and Mac. “We should leave and let them discuss things. I don’t know about you, but I have some other cases I need to look over.”
“You’re right. Mac, I’ll expect you in my office first thing tomorrow with an update.”
“Yes, sir.” Mac didn’t look too upset about pulling an all-nighter.
Of course he’d probably pulled quite a few since the murders started happening.
“Tanner, you’ll work directly with Detective Guzman until the case is solved.”
Tanner nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Mac and Tanner watched their bosses leave. After the door shut behind them, they looked at each other.
“Guess we’re having a working dinner tonight.”
“I’m pretty used to those. I tend to take my work home with me.” Tanner gestured to the pile of folders on his desk. He checked his watch. “It’s close to five. Why don’t we grab some takeout and head over to my place? We can work from there.”
“I’ll meet you there in an hour. What do you want for dinner?” Mac grabbed his hat from where he’d hung it on Tanner’s coat tree in the corner.
“Surprise me. I’m not very picky when it comes to food. Oh, except for mac ’n cheese. Ate too much of it growing up because it was cheap and easy to make. At times it was the only thing Mama could afford.” Tanner started to gather up all the files and copies of the photos. “If you hang on a minute, I’ll walk out with you.”
As they walked out of the office, he stopped to let MacLaughlin know he was working from home the rest of the night. His boss didn’t care where Tanner worked as long as the files were secure and the work got done. Mac tipped his hat toward Tanner when they parted in the parking garage.
Tanner put his briefcase on the floor of the passenger seat before walking over to his side of the car. After sliding behind the wheel, he rested his head back against the seat and breathed deep.
Christ
! It was going to be hard to focus on the case with Mac in the same room with him, especially after having tasted the man the night before. Yet he could be professional when he needed to be, and the case came first, no matter what Tanner’s body demanded.
Chapter Five
He watched as she strolled down the sidewalk, window-shopping like women seemed to enjoy doing. He never understood the urge, but hell, he’d never understood a woman yet. He checked his watch as she ducked into one of the shops. Yes, it was time for her daily cup of caramel latte. He’d followed her into the coffee shop one day, simply to see if she noticed.
The woman had smiled at him, but she never once acted like she spotted him following her, and that was important. To achieve his goal, she couldn’t know he stalked her. He lounged on a bench down the street from where she got her coffee. He opened the newspaper he’d bought earlier and read the article about the Knife Killer. A smirk crossed his face as he read the shit the reporter had written about him.
The police knew nothing, though reading how the rangers were taking over the murder cases from HPD did cause him to hesitate for a moment. Then he shook his worry off. It didn’t matter. They could get a psychic to work the case and he would still outthink them. It said they were bringing in a profiler from the FBI. The man wouldn’t be able to catch him. He grinned at a sudden thought. He’d write the fucking Fed. Maybe even threaten him. It would be a fun game, and it might throw the bastard off a little. He had no real interest in killing the man. He’d write a letter after he got back from trailing the woman.
He peered over the edge of the paper as she walked past him. With long blonde hair and big blue eyes, she looked good, if he went for that kind of woman. He didn’t and never had, but he understood why the other guys on the sidewalk watched her stroll past, hips swinging.
Her phone rang, and she dug it out from her purse. After standing, he folded the newspaper and tucked it under his arm. He straightened his suit coat before heading after her, acting like a businessman on his way home from work. Slowly weaving his way through the crowd, he came up right behind her. She chatted on the phone, ignoring everyone around her. Hell, he could pick her pocket without the woman realizing it until she got home.
Shaking his head, he eased back, not ready to make his move yet. The urgency wasn’t as strong as he needed it to be to take her. He was still running on the satisfaction from his last kill. The woman had been a fighter. It took far longer for her to stop struggling and lose consciousness than the other women. There were far more slices on her than he liked. It had looked messy when he finished laying her out in the pentagram.
He trailed her to the corner of her street. He knew what she was going to do. She would go home and change before leaving for her gym for her nightly workout. Once finished with that, she’d return home and stay in during the week. On the weekends, she’d work out, return to her house and change, then head to one of the clubs. He’d followed her while she went dancing with friends or on a date. He’d been tracing her routine for a week or more. Even before he took the last woman, he’d been searching for his next victim.
Continuing past her corner, he went down to the next one and dropped the act, moving quickly toward where he’d left his truck. He would come back in a day or two after finding the perfect place to take her and writing his letter. A terrible smile crossed his face at the fear he’d cause with his communication.
* * * *
Mac held the bag of barbecue in his hand as he knocked on Tanner’s door. He glanced around at the small front porch and yard. It was well kept, but the railings needed a coat of paint.
Tanner opened the door, and Mac caught his breath at the welcoming smile on Tanner’s face. He didn’t remember anyone ever looking as happy to see him as Tanner, not even his adopted father. He held up the bag of food.
“Barbecue.”
“Awesome, and you got it from Goode’s.”
“Where else would I get it from?” He grinned as he walked inside.
Laughing, Tanner led the way to the kitchen. “True. I’ll grab the plates, if you want to unpack the food. What do you want to drink?”
“Beer.”
Mac set the food on the table while Tanner set out the plates and silverware. He grabbed some paper towels and sat across from Tanner. They split the ribs and brisket between them, along with the cornbread and baked beans. Silence reigned except for an occasional moan of pleasure for the food.
With the last rib finished, Mac leaned back in his chair and groaned. “I always end up working out twice as long after eating at Goode’s.”
“It’s definitely a meal where you can feel your cholesterol climbing with each bite.” Tanner pushed away from the table and grimaced as he stood. “All I want to do right now is curl up on my couch and take a nap.”
Mac chuckled. “Sounds good to me, but we need to do some work tonight.”
“I know.”
Tanner started to clear the table, and Mac stood to help him. They got the dishwasher filled and ready quickly. Mac grabbed two more beers out of the refrigerator while Tanner turned it on. Mac set the bottles down and turned, reaching out to rest his hands on Tanner’s hips.
“Before we get into the photos and all the other shit, I need to kiss you.”
Mac could see his declaration surprised Tanner slightly by the widening of the man’s eyes. Yet there wasn’t any protest as he pulled Tanner close and brought their lips together. Mac tasted the tang of the barbecue sauce mixed with the hops from Tanner’s beer. He slid his hands around to grip Tanner’s ass, and Mac deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue in to tease and duel with Tanner’s.
Tanner cradled the back of Mac’s head and caressed the skin at his nape. Matching moans filled the air as they pressed their groins together.
Shit
! All he’d thought about the entire day was how tight Tanner’s ass had been around his cock, and those thoughts appeared at the most inappropriate times.
Easing back, he rested his forehead against Tanner’s and breathed. “You’re like a drug I’m becoming addicted to totally by accident.”
“I know.” Tanner rubbed his thumb over Mac’s bottom lip. With a sigh, Tanner stepped away. “We do need to work. Tell me how your talk with Billingsley went. He didn’t seem too upset when you showed up at my office.”
Mac grimaced. “He wasn’t happy, but he let me stay on the case. Actually it wasn’t Cap I had problems with this morning. Sorensterm threatened to out me to the others.”
“The bastard. What’s his deal?” Tanner scowled.
“He’s homophobic, and after you showed up with me at the last crime scene, he made some comments about you. I told him to never use those words around me. I also said I didn’t care who you slept with as long as you did your job.”
Tanner squeezed his shoulder. “Of course, saying all of that means you’re fucking me, because a real man would agree with him. I’ve run into a few guys like that in the bureau. For the most part, though, they accepted me. I don’t flaunt my personal life in their faces.”
Mac nodded. “But you can see why I hesitate to come out, right? I’m not willing to risk my career and my life to tell the truth. I’ve never lied about dating women. Most of the other rangers assume I’m very private. They know better than to ask me about my personal life.”
“Sometimes it’s easier to say nothing and let them think what they want.”
Tanner led the way to the living room.
After sitting on the couch, Mac glared at the folders on Tanner’s coffee table. “I’m not looking forward to this. I’ve gone through those files so many times I think I have them memorized. I’m not sure looking at everything again will make any difference.”
“It can’t hurt.” Tanner joined him and bumped their shoulders together. “There has to be a connection between them. We just haven’t found it yet.”
“Of course there is. We have to figure out why he picks the girls he does. What is it about them he wants to kill? Is it really them or what they represent that he’s killing?”
Tanner grabbed Marissa’s file and leaned back against the cushions. “I’ve been working on that. To be honest, I haven’t quite figured out why he kills them the way he does, aside from the fact he likes knives and is comfortable with them.”
Mac frowned. “Does he need another reason than that? I would think slicing a woman until she bleeds is usually done because her killer wants her to suffer a rather painful death.”
“If this was a crime of passion and just one victim, I’d say yes. Our perp wants the woman to be frightened and struggle. But there are five victims and nothing I’ve seen of the crime scenes says this is a crime of passion. He coldly stalks and takes them without any fear of getting caught. That means he knows what he’s doing.” Tanner snatched up a pencil and a pad of paper. “I think I’ll search the database to see if there are any unsolved crimes fitting this pattern.”
“We already did that when we realized we had a serial killer on our hands. Nothing came up but some drug-related killings. We’re pretty sure none of these women were involved in drugs or had anything to do with that business.” Mac steeled himself and picked up Linda Happleston, the first victim. “I wish they were all blondes, or all Hispanic, or something like that. Some obvious connection. I hate when they get sneaky.”
Tanner snorted. “There is a connection between them, and you’ll find it, Mac. You don’t have all the information on the last victim yet, so there’s still stuff out there you don’t know about them.”