“Do the ghosts talk to you at crime scenes, Katie?”
Oh, hell no. I don’t like that he’s calling me Katie. I don’t like that he’s asking me about goddamn ghosts at a crime scene where I highly suspect there are more bodies in.Thank you, Lottie.And now I highly suspect that Travis Marrs has something to do with it. Which would mean that the colonel has something to do with it, too.
Holy candy cane cornetto. What was it that Connor Maddox said?
Old soldier. Boss soldier.
And before that . . .Father.
The slope of his nose, the dirty blond hair, if it were gray and thinning, could be the colonel. His eyes are different; Travis’s are much darker,as if his pupils had all but taken over.
“How do you know the colonel?”
His lips tilt up to one side, and he takes a step closer to me.
“He’s my boss.”
Nodding, I reach my hand behind my back, moving slowly until I reach my phone in my back pocket. I can’t work it from here, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but it feels comforting to hold it in my hand, nonetheless.
“Major Jones, the psych, he’s very possessive of you, isn’t he?”
“You seem very fascinated by my relationship with Dr. Jones.”
“I’m curious to find out why a woman like you would be interested in a man like him. Do you have a thing for men in uniform?”
I feel the heat prickle up my neck. Only Jonesy, you dried-up tissue of a man.
He laughs, his head falling back as if he’s made the funniest joke in the world. It feels like we’re in a stalemate, and I’m out of moves.
“He’ll be here soon, and you can ask him yourself.”
“I don’t think he will be. I think you’re lying. And that’s not very nice, is it?”
“Why would I lie?”
He tuts, his eyes dropping to my leggings, stepping into my space. I freeze.
“He’s not really coming, is he? Are you trying to tease me, Katie? Playing hard to get? I see theway you’re looking at me. Like you’re trying to find out all my secrets. When all you need to do is ask.”
I swallow hard, my lip trembling as I suck in a deep breath through my nose.
“How many more girls did you kill, Travis?”
His lips creep up, his teeth baring as he lets out a depraved laugh.
“How did you know?”
I shrug, my body rearing back from his. “I read people for a living.”
“Well, look at you. Smarter than I gave you credit for. Shame no one will find out.”
He lunges for me as I spin on my heel. But I’m not quick enough. He yanks me back by my hair, and I fall back against his chest.
I scream out as loud as my lungs will allow, but a swift elbow cuts down between my neck and shoulder, and I let out a whimpered cry. His gloved hand covers my mouth as he drags me back, the scent of rubber and disinfectant singe my nose hairs. I lose my footing and scramble to keep my feet on the floor, but he’s dragging me away from the front door and into the kitchen. I hear a door swing open, and he drops behind me until he’s hauling me down the stairs to the basement with him. It’s dark, one halogen bulb swinging from the ceiling like in one of those creepy horror movies. What the hell was Connor Maddox thinking when he bought this place?
Shadows dip around the bare walls, and allI can see is a loose window big enough for a child to fit through, but no other means of escape except the doorway. There’s an old washing machine in the corner of the room and a broken drying rack leaned against the wall. The basement is smaller than I expected, given the layout of the house.
“Katie? Are you here?” I hear a muffled voice cry out from upstairs.
