As much as I would love to go home and crack a beer for the evening, I’m not feeling good about leaving Jade. She was pale and still shaken up when I left. I had to fight the urge to pull her into my arms. So instead, I do a few laps around the neighbourhood, and once her light goes out, I sit parked and decide to watch her place in case whoever was in her house comes back. I’ll sit here all damn night just to make sure she’s safe.
Sitting here under the cover of the moon and streetlights, I think about the panties I saw on her bedroom floor when I was walking through the house. They were white and lace and just atiny scrap of fabric. My throat bobs, and I groan into the dark cab of my car as I picture her in them.
Tonight is going to be a long fucking night.
When the sun finally rises and Jade’s light comes on, I pull away and head home for a quick shower and change of clothes.
Today is looking like the first full rainy day of summer, the clouds still dark, the rain still coming down with no sign of ending any time soon. I won’t have time to be back to pick Jade up and offer her a ride, so pulling out my phone, I send a quick text to Wren asking her to swing by Jade’s on the way to work.
Once I arrive at the station, I brace for the upcoming busy day. Not getting any sleep last night probably wasn’t a good idea to prepare for today, but I don’t regret it knowing Jade is safe.
I send her a quick text asking how she’s doing, and she replies fairly quickly letting me know all is good and that her and Wren have made it to the bakery. I would love to stop into the bakery this morning just to see her, but the station is chaotic this morning as we prepare to set up a press conference.
The town is on edge today, rightfully so. I’m sure all the news vans and black SUVs lining Main Street don’t help either. We have two murdered women, and no leads. News is starting to spread around town, and it has everyone wary. I don’t want to jump the gun, but I need to be realistic and cautious. Two is a pretty high number when it comes to murders, which means it’s very possibly a serial killer. What he wants and why he’s in Lavender Falls, I don’t know. That’s what we need to figure out.
My entire morning is spent organizing the press conference and communicating with other officers from neighbouring towns and cities. Our community needs to stay vigilant and aware.
This weekend, the rodeo and fair are taking place, which means a lot of people will be in and around town. Too many tourists to keep track of, which can lead to the perfectopportunity for our guy to strike again. We’ll need all hands on deck to patrol this weekend. A couple profilers from Vancouver arrived late last night, and we’ve been working with them closely.
Right now, we don’t have much. We know our guy seems to prefer blondes between the ages of twenty-five and twenty-eight, that his preferred method is stabbing, and that he’s chosen the river banks as a dumping ground. We suspect our killer is a male in his late twenties to early thirties. Someone who appears charming and even handsome. Based on a boot print discovered in the sand at the last crime scene, we know our guy wears a size 12 shoe, so is most likely a taller male. Because none of the victims have been from Lavender Falls yet, we suspect he’s grabbing from touristy areas and choosing his victims based on who he notices is alone. This could mean his most likely hangout spot is Buckles, Misty’s, or even the parks.
“Detective.”
Cade looks up from the pages he’s going over and hums his acknowledgement.
“I want you to call around to all hotels and motels from all towns and cities in a close radius. Check for anyone who’s checked in sometime around the time of the first killing. This guy’s gotta be staying somewhere. If this guy is smart, he’s probably not using his real name. I want you to ask if there was anyone that raised flags over their comings and goings. Fax the sketches of our victims and see if maybe they recognize any of them coming in with a male companion."
“You got it.” Cade nods, getting to work.
Mark looks up from his own work. “We need to look at death records. This guy has a very obvious type, and I want to know why. Maybe he lost a loved one and spiraled. Or maybe these women remind him of someone he hates. Maybe an ex-wife?Have a deputy check for any divorce records as well as stabbings. Maybe we can find something in there.”
“Ian, you heard him. Get to work.”
“What about me, Sheriff?” Garrett asks.
“Keep looking through these files. See if we’ve missed anything,” I tell him.
“Sure thing, boss.”
Once everyone’s busy doing their jobs, I let out a sigh. “We got a lot of work ahead of us,” I say to Mark.
“That you do,” he says.
A couple hours later when we’re ready to go, we step out into the rain and start our press conference.
The town is a flurry of activity this morning. Police cruisers and SUVs line the streets, along with news vans and bystanders. The thought of all these police has my mouth going dry. I can’t believe this is happening in our small town.
For as long as I’ve lived here, Lavender Falls has been a friendly and quiet place. It’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed. The town and its residents have always made me feel safe. I’m a long way from home, and that has always brought me a bit of comfort. Now, I feel on edge.
Between feeling like I’m being watched, that voice from Saturday night, and now the intruder along with all the emails, I know I need to call Nick.
I think about what I overheard Mrs. Ira and the knitters talking about earlier this morning. How there hasn’t been such a tragedy since Cade Donovan’s wife. I make a mental note to ask Wren what they meant. I knew Cade had children, but I didn’t realize he wasn’t married.
The clicking of heels against the hard floors disrupts my thoughts. I glance to see Sarah coming to a stop next to me, joining to watch out the window at all the people in Town Square. It looks like the press conference is about to start.
“You think the rodeo and fair will still happen?” she asks as we watch West and a few men in suits we don’t recognize, take the stand.
Despite the chilly weather and steady fall of rain, Town Square is filled with community members.
