“I need evidence to re-open the case.”
“You’ll have it. Until then, not a word, to anyone.”
“Of course not. So, I had an interesting conversation with Providence,” Cooper said. “I’m meeting with her next week.”
“Don’t fuck this up.”
Cooper laughed. “Thanks for…I’m not sure what. You wanna clue me in?”
“It’s an opportunity few get.”
“That’s it?”
“I gotta go.”
“How are things going with Emerson?”
“I’m thinkin’ of making things official.”
“Assuming she’ll have you.”
Stryker laughed. “I gotta go. I need a coupla days to get you what you need on Spinetti.” Stryker pulled him in for a bro-hug.
“You’re wearing your vest. Smart move.”
“Not my time to die.” Stryker showed himself out.
As he mounted his bike, his phone binged. He almost ignored it, but, thinking twice, pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. The killer had turned on his phone and the program Stryker had written was alerting him. Stryker tapped the app. Up popped the phone’s geolocation.
Adrenaline slammed through him.
He throttled up, popped the clutch, and, burning rubber, he rocketed into the night.
* * *
As Emerson came to and the fog cleared, her heart started pounding hard and fast. Lyle was staring down at her, her own gun pointed at her face. She was a prisoner. Secured to her office chair at her wrists and ankles.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Lyle’s dead-eyed smile sent a shiver through her.
Lyle had shoved a washcloth in her mouth. She sat there, helpless and fuzzy-headed, trying to come up with a plan.
“I’m going to remove the gag. If you scream, I’ll shoot you. Do you understand?”
She nodded. He pulled out the cloth, and she sucked down a lungful of air, and then another. “How did you get in? My house alarm was set.”
“One day, when you went on a run, I was parked nearby and saw you punch the code on your garage door opener. Then, I stalked you. It’s amazing how easy that is to do. People never pay attention to who’s behind them.”
He’d found the scotch and tipped back the bottle. After swallowing, he grimaced. “After you and your boyfriend left on his bike this afternoon, I got into the garage and hid. You guys came home, went inside, and unalarmed. When he left, I came in and waited for you. It was so easy.” His eerie smile made her want to throw up. “And here you are, hard at work, trying to catch the Wedding Gown Killer.”
“Why are you doing this to me?” She needed to play this cool, stupid, almost. She forced a smile. “Is this a joke or something?”
He set down the handgun and moseyed over to her wall of photos. “Tsk, tsk. I’m not happy with you. You know too much, and you wanted me to come to the police station tomorrow so you could charge me with murder.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I didn’t know you were looking for me until I stopped by here and saw all these photos.” He paused to stare at them. “I love admiring my handiwork.”
On a sigh, he turned back to her. “Not even the great Detective Easton can stop me from having my fun. In fact…I want us to have a little funtogether.” He patted her head before breezing out of the room.
