She sat down at the table in the conference room she had brought them to for privacy.Making a show of crossing her shapely legs, she looked at both men expectantly.
Sean had been angry before he and Lynch had arrived at the Channel 4 news station, but now he was downright pissed.The reporter was actually flirting with them.Did she really think they’d be willing to give her a fucking interview?Not in this fucking lifetime, he said to himself, or the next.The woman was a leech, like most people in her profession.She didn’t care how many victims were killed or families were devastated as long as the story was juicy enough to boost the ratings and her career.
“Not going to happen,” Lynch responded.“And if you and your source are the cause of this guy getting away with murder, you’ll be charged with obstruction of justice.”
“It would never stick, and you know it,” Jessica replied confidently.“Besides, the public deserves to know how sadistic this creep is.”
Sean ran a hand down his face in frustration.They were getting nowhere with the reporter, but he could at least get a little revenge against her.He crossed his arms and glared at her with all his anger.“As of right now, your privileges at the press conferences regarding this case are revoked.I see you on Sheriff’s Department property, you’ll be charged with trespassing.Understand?”
She sat up, her eyes flashing with fury and disbelief.“You can’t do that!”
Brad looked at her squarely and smirked.“He can and just did.Consider this your first and final warning.”
The two men stormed out as Jessica was still sputtering in disbelief.How dare they?Over her fucking, dead body was she handing this story over to anyone else.She would just have to find a way to stay ahead of everyone.Her sources would help, but she needed to do some more digging.
Still fuming, she returned to her desk just as the mailroom clerk left a thick stack of white and manila envelopes for her.Quickly sorting through her morning mail, she tossed aside most of the correspondence to open later.Three-quarters of the way through the pile, she stopped and stared at the stark, white envelope with childlike writing on it addressed toJessica Daly, Reporter—OPEN IMMEDIATELY—IMPORTANT.
Jessica picked up the letter and dropped the rest of the mail on her desk.Turning the envelope over, she found no other writing, no return address, no mailing address, and no stamp.It had not come through the post office—someone had hand-delivered it.Taking her silver letter opener from the top drawer of the desk, she gently slid it under the flap of the envelope and sliced it open.It only contained one piece of paper, which she removed and unfolded.
The person who sent the letter obviously watched too many cop shows on TV.He or she had cut words from a newspaper and glued them to the page.
If you want the exclusive of a lifetime, come to 1279 Prescott Road in Elizabeth City at eleven o’clock tonight.Come alone and bring your video camera.I know who the Seaside Strangler is and have proof.
Holy shit!Breaking this case wide open for the cops and feds would get her on a national news team in a heartbeat.Pushing the rest of her mail aside, she opened up a new document on her computer and started typing the preliminary article.She’d add in the details later.
Sean’s feet pounded the asphalt as he ran through the streets of Whisper.It had been just after three o’clock in the afternoon when he’d returned to the beach house and decided to get some exercise.He did his best thinking while running, and today he had a lot on his mind.
Suki had finished her profile and returned to Quantico at around 11:00 a.m.Sean and the detectives had followed up on a few leads from the tip line, which turned out to be dead ends.Before he left the station, he’d updated both Griffin and his SAC in Greenville.The story was now national news, and everyone was using Jessica Daly’s moniker for the killer—the Seaside Strangler.God, he fucking hated the press.
As he jogged at a comfortable pace, his mind wandered to the night before.Following the newscast, he had been very subdued, his mind racing over the details of the case.They obviously had a huge leak at the sheriff’s department, and he wondered how Jessica Daly’s reporting of sensitive details of the crimes would affect the investigation.He was aware he could have been more hospitable to his guests, but the two women found many topics to discuss between them during dinner.He hoped their chatter had prevented his silence from becoming an issue.
After dinner with the two women, he’d held Grace’s hand as they walked to her car, parked in the street in front of the cottage.As he opened the door to her tan Toyota Solara convertible for her, he’d apologized.
“Sorry I wasn’t good company tonight.That newscast threw me for a loop.It’s really going to be a bloody mess at headquarters tomorrow.”
Instead of climbing into her car, Grace stopped next to Sean and placed her hand on his chest in a comforting gesture.“Don’t worry, I understand.Do you have any idea where the reporter’s getting her information?”
Sean sighed and absentmindedly ran his hand up and down her arm.“It has to be someone in the sheriff’s department, but that’s Matt Griffin’s problem.My problem is how the killer will react to all of this.”He paused, then smiled.“But let’s not talk about that now.You and Suki seemed to get along.”
“We did,” Grace said, her demeanor suddenly lighter at the subject change.“She’s a lot of fun.I really like her.”As she spoke, her hand caressed his chest in small, tantalizing motions, which heated his blood to a near boil—which then went straight to his cock.
“I’m glad to hear that,” he murmured.His eyes left hers and zoomed in on her lush mouth.All thoughts of serial killers and coworkers immediately left his mind, only to be replaced by images of the erotic dream he’d had that morning.
Closing what little distance there was between them, Sean lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers.Sparks ignited, and he’d let out a deep groan as she kissed him back with a sensual urgency that caught him by surprise.She slid her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck as he silently urged her lips open with his tongue.Grace obliged, and he was instantly lost in the taste of her.
Sean took a step forward, compelling Grace to step back, and pinned her against the rear door of her car.He nibbled gently on her bottom lip before flicking his tongue over the same tender spot.From there, his lips moved along her jawline to the sensitive spot just below her left ear.She tilted her head back, allowing him better access for nuzzling her neck.He paused over the pulsating vein on the side of her throat and felt its tempo speed up as he made slow lazy circles with his tongue over the spot.She gasped, and his cock grew under the zipper of his jeans.
As her hands moved up to tangle in his hair, his inched south down her sides until they reached her hips.Grinding his against hers, he wished they were somewhere they could get naked and do wild, naughty things to each other—things he’d been dreaming of since she’d first walked back into his life.He was just about to cup her buttocks and lift her, so her legs could wrap around his waist when a car approached.Headlights illuminated them, and the driver honked his horn at them as he drove past.The sound startled them, and they jumped apart, panting from the experience that left them both wanting more.
Sean took several gulps of the cool night air and tried to bring his breathing and hard-on under control.“I guess that was the driver’s way of saying ‘get a room.’”
Grace chuckled as she tried to steady her own breathing.“Nothing like… making out… like a couple of teenagers… in the middle of the street, huh?”
“Actually, I can think of a lot better places to be making out.”He waggled his eyebrows several times, making her laugh at his antics.Sean’s heart skipped a beat.He’d just discovered there was no sound in the world more melodious than Grace Whitman’s laugh.
Abruptly, he sobered.“Can we go out on a date?”
“A date?”Grace looked at him with surprise.“As in a date-date?”
