She opened his night table drawer and extracted a condom. Having made her intentions known, she kissed him again. She loved the intensity of his embrace, the passion in his lovemaking. His touch electrified her and her body surrendered to his. His powerful thrusts took her over the edge, but it was the tenderness in his eyes that brought a tear to hers. This man had captured her heart in every way possible.
They lay together, sharing a pillow and facing each other. The tension he carried between his brows and the tightness in his jawline were gone. Serenity replaced angst, leaving his true beauty to shine through.
He kissed her palm. “You deserve to be with a good man, Emerson.” He fell silent. “That’s not me.”
Emerson had been soaring high in the sky, floating amongst the clouds. His words sent her plummeting to the cold, hard earth. Hurt and confused, she said, “I thought you were falling in love with me.”
“I am.” More silence while he searched her eyes. “I’m not the good guy you think I am.”
“What kind of man are you?”
“I’m ruthless and vengeful.” He sighed. “You deserve better.”
Pain shot through her chest. “That’s not your choice to make. Not even you have that kind of power over me.” It was late and she didn’t want to get into it with him, so she rolled away, hoping to shut out the pain.
Stryker spooned her, his warm body blanketing hers. She wanted to ask him why he was pushing her away, but his harsh words stopped her.I’m ruthless and vengeful.
As he drifted to asleep, she wondered who Stryker Truman really was.
Emerson woke early and left Stryker’s before the sun crested the horizon. Beyond thanking him for his help, she said nothing more. If he was pushing her away, that was on him.
Once at home, she called Karen Watters, the woman who’d been last seen on video surveillance talking to Blondie. When she didn’t answer, Emerson left a message, then sent a follow-up text. Hoping to hear back, she left for her meeting.
Emerson sat across the desk from Arlington County’s Chief Toxicologist, Dr. Rebecca Jardin. The doctor handed her a report. “These are the ME’s results, along with my tox report for April Peters. I just emailed this to you and Detective Cardoso.”
“Thank you. That was fast.”
“Chief Watson is pushing for results.”
“Did you find anything?” Emerson asked.
“Yes,” replied Dr. Jardin. “Like Ms. Stanton, Ms. Peters also had a high level of ketamine in her bloodstream. The drug can be snorted, injected, or drunk. Both victims ingested it with wine. Since it’s tasteless and odorless, the victim is at a terrible disadvantage.”
“Isn’t it a tranquilizer?” Emerson asked.
“Its primary use is to sedate animals, but it’s become a popular street drug. When used in small doses, it induces calmness and hallucinations. It also evokes dizziness, slurred speech, and diminished reflexes.”
Emerson jotted down a few notes.
“It’s been used as a date rape drug,” the doctor explained. “In both these cases, the killer used the drug to incapacitate his victims, before strangling them.”
Emerson finished up the meeting and checked her phone on the way out. Karen Watters had texted her back.
After a few back-and-forths, the women agreed to meet in thirty minutes at a coffeeshop on the Hill. Emerson jumped in her car and drove over the Potomac towards the Capitol.
Emerson entered the busy eatery and found Karen Watters sitting alone. “Thanks for meeting with me,” Emerson began.
“I hope I can help,” Karen replied.
Emerson showed her a photo of her speaking with Blondie in the parking lot of The Dungeon. “Do you remember meeting this man?”
“Oh, sure,” Karen said. “We started talking at the bar.”
“What did you two talk about?”
Karen paused to sip her iced coffee. “Some of the outfits and tats that caught our eye. He loved my hair. I’d worn it down. It was nothing, really, but he made a big deal over it.” She pointed to her hair. “I usually just pull it back for work.”
At a glance, Karen Watters fit the killer’s type.
