And yet it wasn’t going to be easy to find a killer whose MO kept changing. The Heartless Killer was no Jack the Ripper. He didn’t go after only prostitutes or strangle every victim. Many of his crimes appeared to be premeditated and well planned, which would slate him as an organized killer. And yet he was probably also charming and possibly attractive, since he was able to approach his prey and then lure them away. Only two of the victims had been left at the scenes of the crime. The majority of them were taken somewhere to be tortured and abused for months before he disposed of their bodies. More frustrating, as in most serial-killer cases, the probability that there were victims they had yet to discover was high.
Although the Heartless Killer’s MO was not well defined, his signature was. Torture and mutilation had occurred with every victim connected to him thus far. As far as Colin could tell, the Heartless Killer’s fantasies had developed over the years. The first two bodies connected to the killer had been dumped, as if the killer was in a hurry or afraid he might be seen. But his confidence had grown, and he’d begun to stage his victims, propping the corpse against a tree or a wagon wheel in the middle of a pumpkin patch. He often removed the heart and placed it on or near the body. This staging was most likely done to shock authorities and show them he was all-powerful and in control.
“I’m not stupid, you know,” Olivia said from the kitchen, pulling him from his thoughts.
Baffled, Colin caught her gaze through the doorway. “I never said you were.”
“Then why don’t you tell me what’s going on with Jessie? She usually texts if she can’t pick me up from school. And she always calls when she’s going to be late. But it’s almost nine, and she never called.”
“Speaking of which, why didn’t you answer my calls earlier?”
“I have a new number.” She picked up her phone and pushed some buttons. “There. I sent you a text. Now you have my new number.” She was still giving him the same sort of look Piper often gave him.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Where’s Jessie?”
Colin scratched the side of his neck.
“And why were you the one who picked me up today?”
“Why—is that a problem?”
She shrugged. “I don’t mind. It’s just that Andriana or Bella’s mom are usually the people who pick me up when Jessie can’t.” She sighed. “I thought you were done with Jessie dragging her feet when it came to the two of you.”
“Is that what Jessie told you?”
“No, that’s what Andriana said when I asked why I hadn’t seen you lately.”
That sounded like Andriana. Colin could tell by the tone of her voice that Olivia was upset with him. “I never should have disappeared from your life without talking to you first. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t care about that.”
He knew it wasn’t true. He could see the hurt in her eyes. But he let it go for now.
“So where is she?” Olivia asked again.
He had hoped there might be an off chance that Jessie would be released before nightfall. But it wasn’t looking good. Time to come clean. “Jessie was working a case today when the man she was following fired a shot at her, forcing her to shoot back.”
Olivia jumped to her feet. “Was Jessie hit?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay.” She sank slowly back into her seat. “Is the man dead?”
“He’s in critical condition.”
“That’s not good—is it?”
“No. It’s not good.”
“How much trouble is she in? Is she in jail?”
“Yes, she’s in jail. Andriana was there when I left. The two of them will get it all straightened out, and Jessie will be home in no time.”
He didn’t like the worry he saw scrawled across Olivia’s young face. She was a good kid and had a big heart. Before he could say anything more to ease her mind, his cell buzzed. He picked up the call, listened for a minute, said thanks, and disconnected.
Olivia was on her feet again. “Was that about Higgins?”
He nodded. “He’s doing better than expected. We can pick him up in the morning.”
“Thank goodness!”
“Yeah,” he said. “Thank goodness.” Now he needed to figure out how he was going to come up with the money to pay for the surgery, which was going to cost him more than they had originally quoted. After he got that problem settled, he would need to figure out how to break the news to Jessie that she was now the proud owner of an injured dog she didn’t have time for.
SEVEN
Jessie was jolted awake by a bloodcurdling scream.
It took her a second to remember she’d slept in jail. The cot was lopsided, and the place smelled of vomit that someone had tried to cover up with bleach. Detective Roth had been kind enough to make sure she was put in her own holding cell, far enough away from the shit disturbers to get a few hours of sleep.
She sat up and pushed tangled hair out of her face. This wasn’t the first time she’d been thrown in jail, but it was the first time she’d ever spent the night there. There were no windows, and she had no idea what time it was. She wondered about Olivia. Was she okay? Had Colin made sure she’d gotten something to eat? Did he take her to school?
Feeling dizzy, Jessie lowered her head close to her knees and took deep breaths. She’d never done well in small enclosures, and the strong smell of disinfectant wasn’t helping.
A few minutes later, footfalls sounded. Down the corridor she saw a guard coming her way. Following close behind was Andriana. Thank God. Keys rattled, and the iron door slid open.
“How are you doing?” Andriana asked.
“Never been better,” Jessie said. She looked at the guard and waited for him to cuff her, but that didn’t happen.
“Bail has been posted,” the guard said. “You can collect your things at the front desk.”
Jessie looked at Andriana. “They set bail?”
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get your things, and I’ll take you home. We’ll talk on the way.”
Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they walked down a long corridor leading to the front of the building. Through a maze of cubicles, she could see a group of patrol officers taking roll call before their shifts. The moment Jessie stepped outside, she took giant gulps of air, filling her lungs. One night inside the six-by-eight cell had felt like twenty. It was morning, but it was already warm. The heat wave was expected to last another day or two. In an hour the air would be stifling hot.
Side by side, she and Andriana walked across the parking lot. “What’s the deal with bail? Why wasn’t I notified?”
“You were lucky to get bail. We have a problem.”
Jessie stopped in her tracks. “Let’s start with who bailed me out?”
“Your father did.”
“Seriously? How?”
“He pledged his property.”
“How would he even know what had happened? And why would he do that?”
“Because I asked him to.”
Jessie scratched her forehead. “That’s insane.”
“I’m not just your lawyer—I’m your friend. Nobody had enough money for a cash bail, and unfortunately it took the bail-bond agent two minutes to see that you had exactly zero assets. The only way he could help you was if someone could post a property bond. The agent will keep a stiff fee. If you don’t show up for your court appearance, your dad loses everything.”
Arms crossed, Jessie looked the other way. She hardly ever spoke to her dad. After her mother ran off years ago, her father had started drinking. Too many DUIs later, he’d spent eighteen months in prison. It was a downhill spiral from there. Her younger sister got pregnant, and Jessie knew she had to get her sister and niece away from Dad. Sophie’s disappearance didn’t help his drinking problem. Whenever Jessie paid him a visit, he’d swear he’d given up drinking, but he was only lying to himself. She did her best to stay away from him.
“Come on,” Andriana said, walking ahead. “Get in the car. Your dad is the least of your worries. We need to talk.”
Jessie climbed into Andriana’s black Prius and buckled herself in. “I’m listening. What’s going on?”
“It’s about Parker Koontz.”
Jessie didn’t like the worry lining Andriana’s voice, especially since her lawyer wasn’t a worrier by nature. “What about him?”
“Koontz is a criminal defense lawyer—”
“And?”
“And his partner is saying Koontz had been carrying a gun because he was afraid for his life. For the past week a woman was stalking him. A woman who fits your description.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“This is not a joke.”
Jessie unclenched her jaw. “What else?”