“How do they disappoint, Special Agent?” Detective Morris asked with a smirk as he sat back with his arms crossed over his chest. It felt as if he were baiting me, testing to see if I knew the correct answer. I studied him as I thought about it.
“The man wants what he lost. The female family member who started all this.”
Morris dropped his arms and sneered. “Is that so? And why is that? Why is he supposedly obsessed with her?”
I shook my head. “I’m not a psychologist, Detective Morris. I wouldn’t be able to tell you why a young man developed an unhealthy attachment to a family member. The profile just spells out the clues. At some point in his life, the unsub became sexually attracted to a woman in his immediate family. When she rejected him, he would have reacted badly. She was likely his first kill.” I glanced at the wall where several women’s pictures hung. “Ever since then, he has been trying to find his first obsession in the bodies of her replacements. Since that’s impossible, he gets frustrated, taking his rage out on those he deems unworthy or a failure, either on his part or theirs.”
Chapter 16
Parker
As soon as Ry dropped me off in front of the cabin, the first thing I did was head into the bedroom to gather my clothes. I was down to the last outfit that I’d brought with me. If I wanted to wear something clean tomorrow, I needed to get my clothing laundered tonight. I knew it was presumptuous, but I really hoped they wouldn’t mind if I borrowed the washing machine at the main house.
I glanced over at the window and couldn’t help the pang of disappointment at the sight of the closed curtains across the way. With a pout, I told myself that I wasn’t at all disappointed not to see a naked Dante coming out of the shower again.
I grabbed the mesh laundry bag that I kept in my suitcase for dirty clothes while traveling and shoved my used clothing into it. I pulled the drawstring tight after glancing around, double-checking for any missed articles of clothing. When I was satisfied I’d found everything, I headed towards the door.
I walked up the wooden steps of the main house and knocked on the door. Just a moment later, Ruby answered with a grin.
“Hey there, darling,” she greeted with a smile. She was stunning, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, with a full face of makeup. For someone who I was certain had been busy all day cleaning and cooking, she looked effortlessly beautiful.
I smiled back sheepishly and gestured to my laundry bag. “Hi, Ruby. I hate to impose, and I completely understand if it’s too much to ask, but I ran out of clean clothes today.”
She waved her hand and reached out for my bag before I could continue explaining. “Say no more, honey. I’ve got you.”
I blinked as she didn’t hesitate to heft the bag into her arms. “I can do it,” I protested.
“Nonsense. That’s what I’m here for.” I had to practically jog behind her as she began walking through the house. “Do any of these need special treatment?” she questioned over her shoulder to me.
I shook my head. “No. They’re all just your basic articles of clothing.” I tried not to let my embarrassment show at how little I had managed to spend on my clothing. I was just getting started in my career and couldn’t afford the greatest quality yet. “Nothing special.”
She guided me down another hall and then stopped in front of the laundry room. “What about what you’re wearing?”
I glanced down at myself. “What about it?”
She laughed. “Do you want those washed, too?”
I hesitated, “This is all I have left.”
“Why don’t I give you something to wear, and I can wash those along with these. That way, you can start fresh?”
“You don’t have to do that,” I protested. “You’re already doing too much.”
“Darlin’,” she said as she eyed me knowingly, “you need to let people do things for you sometimes. Let me set these down, and I’ll go grab you something to wear.”
I knew the woman wasn’t going to let me argue with her and just needed to accept that she was going to do something nice for me, no matter how much I resisted. We stepped into a laundry room that was as big as the bedroom in the apartment I rented in Virginia. The washer and dryer looked like something out of a sci-fi movie with more dials and flashing lights than a car dashboard. I had no idea what most of them were even for.
While I was still staring at the display, fascinated and confused, Ruby walked back in, holding a pair of shorts and a tank top. Here you go, darlin’,” she said, shoving them into my arms.
“Thank you for this, Ruby. It’s really sweet of you.”
“You’re more than welcome. Now, why don’t you go into the bathroom and change so you can give me those clothes you’re wearing?”
I nodded and turned around to do what she said. It only took me a couple of minutes to slip into the pair of black cotton shorts and red tank top she’d loaned me. I thought about it for a moment, debating washing them in the sink in the cabin, but eventually I took off the panties I was wearing so they could be washed with everything else. Slipping them in between my slacks and blouse, I handed them to her, then watched as she separated the black slacks and blouses into two different piles, which was far more than I usually did.
Once Ruby added the slacks to the machine and water began to fill the tub, she turned and eyed me again, and I just knew there was more trouble coming. “How many bras did you bring with you?”
“What? I asked.
