“I said I know, damn it,” he growled into the phone before slamming it down on the receiver.
“I don’t think they heard you.” Becca grinned as she entered, trying to lighten the mood.
Danny’s head popped up, and the tension in his body slowly eased as he met Becca’s gaze.
She’d known Danny since they were both young. They’d always had a connection. He’d been her best friend growing up. He’d been her everything at one time, and now they were like best friends. He knew her family and knew they were crazy in a woo-woo kind of way. It was one the things he said he liked best about her. His brother, Michael, hadn’t been as outgoing. He’d been quiet in a nerdy kind of way. Just watching everyone else play. He’d always been reserved and quiet. Nothing she or her sisters ever did could help him to open up.
Danny’s tension was palpable, consuming the room and making it difficult to breathe. Even the plant that Becca had given him was being affected by the energy. Its green leaves had started to wilt and sag, and it was one of the easiestplants known to keep alive. Yet, it was dying too.
“Your bad mood is killing your plant.”
“I’m not surprised,” he said, standing. “I’ve never been able to keep anything alive. It’s why my parents forbid me having anything that required me to help it live.” Danny rounded the desk and smiled down at her. “How was the wedding?”
“Great. Harper officially has a new hyphenated last name.” Becca rubbed at her temples. “And I’ve got a hangover and can’t get that killer out of my head.”
Some people could mask their emotions. Becca wasn’t one of them. Hers shined through like one of the spotlights around her bed. There was no need to guess when someone wanted a truthful answer. They just had to watch her facial expressions. There was no hiding the truth, and she knew it. “I’m anxious to find this woman and warn her. Are we still going to use an artist?”
“Of course,” he said and led her out of his office and into one of the conference rooms. “We’re older now. You don’t need to be afraid. We’ve trained you in case he ever figures out you two are connected.”
“I think he has.” Saying the words out loud, for the first time, had her rubbing her arms.
“Why do you think that?”
She shrugged. “It’s kind of like my abilities. It’s nothing I can explain. I just…know. He’s on to me. It’s the little things. He’s more methodical; he kills slower. He knows. Trust me.”
“Do you still have your weapons?”
She nodded.
“Good. Don’t be afraid to use them. We have all the resources we need to stop him this time.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Becca stayed at the station for another two hours, working with the forensic sketch artist, describing in detail everything she could remember about the woman in scrubs. When the artist turned his pad around to give her a better look, her heart dropped into her stomach. She was looking right into the eyes of the killer’s next victim.
“Is that her?” Danny asked, coming to rest his hand on her chair.
Words escaped her, so Becca just nodded.
Danny took the picture and headed for the copy machine. The artist stared at her as if he was uneasy and had something to say.
“Are you sure you’ve never seen the guy?”
“No, I’ve never seen his face. Why?” she asked, unsure why he’d be asking.
“The girl in the picture looks a lot like you. Same eyes, same hair color. Do you know if he’s stalked anyone else?”
“Yes.” She thought back. Her eyes became unfocused as she thought about the women she’d seen before now. They all had the same color hair, the same eyes, the same build. She’d just never drawn the same conclusion. “Come to think of it, they all looked similar.”
“To you.”
Becca glanced over to see Danny standing at the copy machine. He had been joined by two men who had stared at the picture and then turned their gaze toward her.
They all headed in her direction, and the artist rose and headed for the door. He was handed his sketch pad and left as the others entered.
“Becca, this is Detective Martinez and Detective Griffin. They’re on the homicide task force.”
“Detectives.” Becca slowly rose from her seat and gave Danny a questioning look. They’d never brought in any outside help, never once letting anyone know what she could do.
