Page 122 of Coordinates of Death

Ruthless.

I’ve unleashed a new side of Corporal Aurora Hunt. A darker side lay hidden in the shadows. I should know. I’ve been there.

And after reading her precious mother’s journals, I realized Aurora had also been there. It was only a matter of time before her darkness came out.

Killing that slimy roach had to be done. Rape was an unforgivable act in my eyes—even if it had been against Aurora. Pulling the fire alarm allowed me the few seconds to enter the room and stick him with my secret cocktail that would work within minutes.

Easy-peasy.

The moment had come to proceed to the final stages of my plan to get rid of Aurora Hunt—and her companion.

Their shadow boxes will be extra special.

And after that—I will lay dormant for a while before I strike again.

“Is it wrong that I’m glad he’s dead?” Kordell buried his head in his hands and moaned. “I’m a terrible person.”

Firefighters had confirmed the false alarm, and Dirk’s team scoured the interrogation room for prints but came up empty. Dr. Sharpe had arrived and examined the body before removing it from the station. He found a pinprick in the neck, so his initial assessment was that Sebastian had probably been drugged with a high dosage of fentanyl. He would determine more after a tox screen. Hill dispatched a constable to retrieve Sebastian’s laptop from the hotel and requested a sweep for any other incriminating evidence.

“Kord, don’t say that. I’m relieved too. It’s natural to feel this way after all the damage the Roche family did, even after all these years.” Aurora took a sip of her coffee in the lunchroom.

“I know.” He lifted his gaze, staring into her green eyes. What he noted surprised him. Peace? “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours? You suddenly seem content. Why?”

“Because I looked that monster in the eye and something surprised me.”

“What?”

“I didn’t see the hurt he caused. Well, at first I did, but it was like God flipped a switch for me. I saw someone . . . lost. Hurt. I realized then I had to forgive him, so I did. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t easy.”

Kordell jerked back in his chair. “Seriously? He and Sheldon defiled you. How can you forgive that?”

“Because God asks—no, commands—his children to do so.” She sipped her coffee. “It surprised me too.”

“Can you forgive me?”

She shifted her gaze to the door as if she wanted to flee his presence. “I’m working on it.”

Kordell sprang to his feet. “You mean you can forgive the man who raped you, but not me? I thought we were friends.”

She stood and snatched his hand. “I didn’t say I couldn’t, only that I’m working on it and need time. I’ve had years to process the rape, but not your silence. Can you—”

Pounding footsteps interrupted her question.

Hill and Wheeler appeared at the doorway.

Wheeler entered and slapped pages onto the table. “How could you withhold these from evidence, Corporal Hunt?”

Her eyes widened and then narrowed in rage. “You went through my bag? Why?”

“Because I don’t trust your ability to separate your personal and professional lives.” He pointed to the pages. “And this proves it. I’m assuming these are your mother’s. Your past isn’t as squeaky-clean as you led us to believe, is it? What else have you lied about?”

What exactly had her mother revealed in the pages? Whatever they contained was enough for Aurora to have stuffed them into her jacket. That’s what she’d hid from him at the institution.

“How could you do this, Aurora?” Hill leaned against the doorframe. “I’ve trusted you—defended you—all these years, even put your name forward for corporal.”

“Sir, if I may interject.” Kordell positioned himself at Aurora’s side, creating a unified front. “Aurora—Corporal Hunt—experienced a lot as a teenager, but from what I’ve seen in the past few days, she is a professional police officer who only wants to arrest a serial killer. Not someone who withholds evidence. She is trustworthy.”

Wheeler marched into Kordell’s personal space, poking him in the chest. “You stay out of this. The fact that she brought you into this case shows how unprofessional she is. I’ve seen the way you look at each other. There’s something going on here other than a collegial relationship.”