Aftermath (23 page)

“Amanda?”

“Yeah?”

“Get out of my office.”

Right. Not a dream, then. She twisted the knob and exited.

Shake it off.

The third precinct already buzzed with life. Someone had started coffee at the ancient machine, located behind the front desk. The cheap grounds gave off a half-burnt smell. And the almost never washed pot lent an extra inky color to an already black brew.

Someone routinely took the carafe off the warmer before it was done brewing and, as a result, a portion of the coffee was now turning a charred black beneath it. The smell went hand-in-hand with their morning meetings.

And, even though every cell in her body screamed for more caffeine, she wouldn’t touch it. Not even if it were the last bit of coffee in the galaxy. She wasn’t sure if anyone actually drank it or if the tradition went back to a time when the pot had been brand new.

A group of her coworkers huddled near the door to their conference room. Brink’s tall figured loomed above the rest, his attention drawn away from a story Mattenelli was rehashing and landing on her.

The vibes transferring through it were anything but cordial. He hadn’t cared for her before last year. And the dislike only intensified after her reinstatement and through an Internal Affairs investigation. They hadn’t been looking at just her. They’d singled out everyone in the precinct. Picked apart details that shouldn’t have mattered.

People’s home lives had been exposed. Two detectives had lost their jobs. One of them had been Brink’s long-time partner in Cyber Crimes.

Another thing that wouldn’t have happened had she not been here. Like Lilly, Brink had made it pretty clear how he felt about the situation. A lot of people had the same opinion, but weren’t bold enough to point out how she’d figuratively rolled in cow dung and refused to burn her clothes and shower.

As if the fact that they’d broken laws had been her doing all along.

And she dealt with it, because she’d never done anything but her job. She was responsible for her own actions. Not someone else’s. If IA had discovered incriminating information about anyone and they’d lost their jobs because of it, they’d done something worse than swiping sugar packets from the breakroom.

Maintaining that type of aloofness with Davis or Captain Dentzen was one thing. Could she accomplish the please-try-crossing-me attitude in front of everyone? Face them with professionalism that dared the nay-sayers to wag their tongues?

Or was this one more test she’d fail?

Brink pressed his lips together and shook his head. Returned to the conversation around him.

The last twenty-four hours caught up to her in one rush. Frustration needled at her spine and sent angry goblins to stir up the acid in her stomach.

Not even six hours ago, Robinson had asked her if things would ever be normal again. Had pointed out the unfairness of life, as if they were teenagers with overly strict parents. And if she let herself dwell on it, she’d be as mad as Lilly. As rude as Brink. Stuck with thoughts that singled out the innocent and left little room for explanation.

More broken than she’d ever been, the last of her care for humanity gone.

And if she threw in the towel and gave into the emotions churning in her system, ten times stronger than hurricane winds, who would suffer?

She glanced at the folder in her hands. Blew out a breath.

She could do this. But not to prove a thing to anybody but those missing girls and their families. Amanda marched past the gathering and to her office. Slammed the paperwork Dentzen had given her on her desk. A scrap flew out and floated to the floor, at the opening of her cubicle.

The face of a young girl stared up at the ceiling. Amanda stepped around the piece of furniture and picked up the picture. Brown hair was in a ponytail. A wide smile curved against a long face, braces sticking out against almost perfect teeth. Warm, amber eyes held a twinkle. It was like...

“Man, she could pass for a younger you.” Davis appeared next to her, the strap of her messenger bag over one shoulder. “If you were a man, I’d crack a joke about...” She glanced up, the mirth on her face fading away. “Never mind.”

It wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Not today. Not ever. A shaky hand lowered the picture. She managed to meet her partner’s gaze as if everything were perfect in the world.

Dark circles lines the other woman’s eyes and made them look a deeper green. Her skin looked pale. And her blonde hair wasn’t in a tight ponytail for once, but down around her shoulders in soft waves.

“How are you feeling?”

Davis shrugged. “Like a bag of smashed buttholes.”

Amanda swallowed, tried to avoid the shudder humming near the surface. The instant bad taste in her mouth. “Thanks for the crude picture. Really perks up my day.”

Davis shrugged. “Figured it would. Managed to keep some broth down around three this morning. Skipped breakfast just to make sure I didn’t toss my cookies during the meeting.” The other woman adjusted her bag as if it held a ton of books. “That girl related to the one we found last night?”

“Kimberly.” Amanda managed to keep the bite, lodged in her clenched jaw, from seeping into her words. She rounded her desk. Shoved the picture of Paige Jurik under a file and sat. “You pregnant or what?”

“Or what. One would have to find a member of the opposite sex one was willing to have relations with first.”

“That’s very...clinical.” Amanda resisted the urge to dig out Paige’s photo and study it. It was a coincidence in a morning filled with them. Nothing more. The girl had loving parents and probably a houseful of siblings. Doppelgänger’s existed. Amanda’s was half her age. No big deal. “Been burned a time or two, Davis?”

The other woman dropped her bag and stepped closer. Took the hair tie from around her wrist and went to work on the near-natural face lift her hairdo usually gave her. “Nothing that dramatic. Dated a cop once. Our careers got in the way with no give for either party. Went our own ways. End of story. Made a vow to avoid dating within law enforcement. Gets too messy when it doesn’t work out.”

Hmm. She’d have to file that away for later. “Rules are overrated. You never know where Prince Charming may be.” Amanda flipped through the info in the file. Young girls ranging from twelve to fifteen stared back at her. Disappearances bisecting eighteen months to two weeks.

“Or when King Jerk-Wad might show up.” The other woman crossed her arms.

“Well, they tend to have more than one type of job.” And she was missing something more than a relationship gone wrong. Or maybe her morning had made her overly suspicious. “You know what they say. There’s a lemon in every bunch.”

A sarcastic burst of air left the other woman’s lips. “What do we have on Kimberly?”

Okay. Message received. End of story. “Cause of death is hypothermia.”

“It’s been eighty-five degrees or above during the day. What’d this guy do, stick her on ice?”

The horror-movie image of being in a bathtub, full of cold slush, with a note detailing death by removed organs popped into her head. Kimberly was intact. Even her hymen. “No defensive or restraint wounds on her wrists or ankles.”

“Drugs in her system?”

“Nope. Perfect Mani and Pedi. Makeup on the eyelashes, which were frozen shut. No evidence of sexual assault. Twenty-one gauge, one-hundred-and-fifty millimeter amniocentesis needle lodged in between the fourth and fifth rib and right into her left ventricle.”

As if the needle had entered her heart, Davis winced. “Post-mortem?”

Amanda nodded. “Or close to. Same with the carving in her flesh. Techs think a sterile blade was used.”

“No way it happened without drugs or some type of subduing mechanism. Nobody takes that kind of pain without trying to defend themselves. We’re missing something.”

Her sentiments exactly. “The lab plans to retest the sample, but couldn’t promise me when it would be ready. Seems they’re back logged.”

“Can the M.E. recheck the autopsy findings?”

Amanda shook her head. “I was there. Went through every area with him, from the rice in her stomach to the blisters on her hands and feet.” Could they have missed a hidden bruise or needle prick between Kimberly’s toes?

“Rice is an odd last meal.”

Not if the meal was something their unsub ate all the time.

“I guess you’re right.” Davis picked up her bag. “There are jerk-wads everywhere. It’s best to hide in a cave and hope the bear hibernating there won’t eat me. Seems to be working for you. See you at the meeting.” The other woman disappeared from sight.

Was that what she’d been doing? Hiding out in a cave better suited to wild animals? Hoping life and love would overlook all the reasons she was there in the first place?

She ran a hand through her hair. Pretending one early morning kiss hadn’t happened wasn't possible. The two of them were always running straight into situations without the proper chronological process. Talking should come before a screw-everything-this-ship-is-going-down kiss. And somewhere in there they needed to figure out how to help Lilly.

Really
help her.

Although, Lilly had seemed better this morning. Had even laughed. So, maybe there was hope. Or perhaps, Amanda had started living in a fairy-tale world with Naive Youngster.

The phone at her hip vibrated. She dug it out of her pocket and noted Robinson’s number. If she knew him at all, he was probably calling to check on her and make good on his promise for a continuation of their morning.

She brought the device to her ear. Tried to infuse her body with cheerful vibes. “Hey there, Super Spy. What’s up?”

“A for effort, beautiful.” A
tisk
came over the line in warm, even waves. “Rough morning?”

She rubbed her neck. “What makes you say that?”

“You. Your voice gets a tad higher when you’re stressed but putting on a good face. If you’re worried about me, set your mind at ease. I’m not expecting a marriage proposal. Not after one kiss. Two or three? Maybe.”

A laugh bubbled at the base of her throat. She let out a pent up breath. “I’m not sure why I expect a simple conversation with you. Ever.”

“Eventually, you’ll learn.” A chuckle met her ear. “Reporting for duty as sole proprietor of the hero squad.”

A smile slid over her mouth. A contagious little bead of excitement buzzed through her system. Who needed simple when she had Robinson’s off-the-wall excitement?

She’d already stepped outside of the cave last night. And solidified her stance with their never-to-be-forgotten lip-lock. No sense in going back. Not when her eyes had already adjusted to the light. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t proceed with caution.

She leaned back in her chair. Drummed her free hand along the armrest. “A squad would indicate a large quantity of people, Robbie.”

“You work best in on-the-fly conditions. One person or twenty. You can handle it.” The words were soft and sincere, but still held a hint of teasing that was signature Robinson. It jumped through her nervous system, on top of everything else this man always made her feel.

Could a second chance be this simple?

She should be studying her notes. Preparing a speech. Figuring out how best not to screw up and still stay true to herself. Instead, she was contemplating one tall, dark and handsome hero turned non-hero, turned hero again. “What’s going on?”

“Later this afternoon, when you get a minute, meet me at the old Bening place.”

“Why?” The plantation house gave her a small case of the creeps, even in broad daylight. She knew too much about things that had happened there, which was too bad considering the beauty of the property and house. It had been Jordan’s mom’s and he could have sublet it for a hefty price. Or sold it to someone looking for seclusion, but easy access to the city.

Neither scenario would likely occur. There was too much sentiment. Too many memories. So, it sat with a caretaker for both the lawn and shrubbery. A handyman for minor repairs and upkeep.

“No more wild goose chases. Dentzen already gave me his by-the-book lecture for the day.”

He scoffed. “I
never
send you anywhere you weren’t already headed. And, anyway, this request has nothing to do with any kind of bird.”

“Um…”

“Just come by later.” More warm-hearted laughter came her way. “I promise to protect you from ghosts and goblins.”

“No one said anything about otherworldly apparitions. You came up with that all on your own.” Infuriating man knew exactly what to do or say to get her compliance. And if she gave him a speck of ammunition, he’d use it to the full extent. Forever. “And it might be a while. I’ve got my end of the task force to uphold.”

“Dentzen finally wised up and put you in charge?”

“Something like that.” She stilled for half a second. Remembered his private talk with her boss last night. “You didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?”

“Oh-no. No.” The last bit came on a sarcastic laugh-scoff. “I think I rank below you on Captain Dentzen’s list of screw-ups. Fortunately, he has no say in my career and no clout with my boss. As much as I’d like to butt in CMPD’s business and tell him how to run things, I’m a little smarter than that.”