Jane Doe's Return (21 page)

“The cops are picking him up as we speak.” Travis slammed his finger on Nagle’s name.

“Really? What for?” Shauna heard the hitch in her own voice.

“It would appear he hacked into the medical examiner’s database and tried to fiddle with the latest Princess Killer’s lab results.” Travis’s eyes narrowed.

“Do we get to talk to him?” She bit down on her lip, holding back a strong surge of acid from the pit of her stomach.

“As soon as you’re ready.” Travis opened the desk drawer where he kept his keys.

“Let’s go.” She returned to her desk and grabbed her purse, hoping Jeff would just leave.

He did, but not before he sent her a lingering gaze, humming that annoying song. She chose to ignore it; she had bigger problems at the moment.

Travis didn’t bother opening the truck door for her this time. Nor did he give her a chance to get buckled when he squealed the tires, ramming the truck forward into traffic. At least two cars honked their horns at them. Now wouldn’t be a good time to bring up her identity.

Unable to stand the silence a second longer she asked, “You don’t believe this guy Nagle hacked into the system, do you?” Looking out the window, her stomach swished and sloshed when she read the sign, “Welcome to Saratoga Springs.”

“He’s not smart enough, but then again, you already knew that, didn’t you?” He turned and glanced at her. His eyes were cold and his face hard as stone.

“He’s my stepbrother,” Shauna admitted. “But then you already knew that, didn’t you?” she added sarcastically, feeling the anger in Travis’s stare. She opened the door before the truck came to a complete stop and jumped out.

After all the formalities were completed and introductions made, she and Travis were led into a holding room.

“Shauna? What are you doing here?” Craig’s eyes widened and his body stiffened.

Shauna flashed her badge, squaring her shoulders. Her stepbrother hadn’t ever hit her, but he could be downright nasty. She’d allowed him to make her feel less than a whole person. No way would she let him do that today.

“Unfreaking believable.” Craig fell back in his chair. “How the hell did you manage that one?”

“I went to school.” She tossed her badge on the table. “This is my partner, Travis Brown.”

“You know I couldn’t have done what they said. I barely even know how to use my stupid computer.” His voice cracked and shook with each word.

“You’re a lot of things, Craig, but bright is not one of them. Who has access to your computer?” Shauna tried to swallow, but her throat was so dry she failed. Everything had to end today. She’d had enough.

“My ex-girlfriend did, until she moved out last weekend.”

Travis tilted his head. “Her name?”

“Janet Hawthorne,” Craig said.

“You know her, too?” Travis muttered.

“Can’t say I’ve have had the pleasure. Where is she now?” Shauna tried to ignore Travis. First flaw. He could be a royal pain in the ass when pissed off.

“I don’t have a clue.” Craig glanced up at her. “Your dad’s been trying to find you.”

Shauna closed her eyes. “Why?” she asked, but didn’t really care. To her father, she’d been nothing but a constant reminder of her mother, the woman he blamed for his pathetic excuse of a life.

“We both tried when my mom died.”

Shauna opened her eyes. The bright light in the very white interrogation room stung her pupils. She didn’t have a feeling one way or another in her body for her stepmother, and she didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty. However, she never wished the woman dead. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, right. Couldn’t find your brother, either.” The contempt oozed from Craig’s lips, but his shaking hands gave his fear away.

She held the power right now, and it felt good. “Roger’s probably dead, too. Where does Janet work?”

“Last I knew she worked at The Hen House. Don is real sick. He had a heart attack a few months ago. While in the hospital, they found he had cirrhosis of the liver. I think he’s dying,” Craig rambled.

There wasn’t a shred of grief anywhere in the list of emotions Shauna had for her family. The only thing she felt for her father at this moment was pity.

“Who’s Don? Roger?” Travis asked. His hands were on his hips and he looked directly at Shauna, fire flaming from his eyes.

“Don’s my father. Roger’s my brother. Who else has access?” Shauna asked Craig. She didn’t have the time to explain it all right now. Travis and his thoughts would have to wait.

“Anyone who’s been in the house, I guess.” Craig’s eyes shifted from Shauna to Travis and then back again.

“Any enemies who would want to set you up?” Travis asked.

“I’ve made a few recently, but Janet has more. She used to turn tricks for a guy by the name of Gus Mortelli. Not only did she quit, but she took off with some drug money. He’s real ticked.”

“He’s also an informant.” Travis cracked his knuckles. “Jeff’s used him to get information.”

“Are they gonna arrest me? I didn’t hack into anything.” Craig’s left eye twitched while his hands trembled in his lap.

“All depends on what they find on your computer. We’ll be in touch.” Travis put his hand on Shauna’s back and pushed her out the door. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

They spent most of the night working with a designated task force of various police agencies putting together a list of possible suspects. They also put together a national announcement in hopes of keeping runaways from train stations, bus terminals, and airports.

She was barely awake when they pulled into Travis’s apartment. They never really spoke to one another, just around each other. They’d been able to piece together certain things for the task force, but she could see in his eyes, he wasn’t too thrilled with not being able to put it all together for them.

She’d done the best she could, gave them everything she knew. He’d have to understand she couldn’t risk being pulled off the case. Incessant buzzing bellowed in her ears. She reached for the alarm she didn’t remember setting.

“Ouch.” A familiar voice coughed.

“Travis?” She kept her eyes closed as she pressed her hand on his face. “I didn’t have a nightmare.” She sighed, sitting up, realizing she was almost completely clothed.
Thank God.

He, on the other hand, was beautifully naked as he swung his legs to the side of the bed.

“You wanted to look at something in my files. You were asleep when I came out of the bathroom. Too damned tired to move you.” He twisted his neck, cracking it.

“I hate when you do that. Do you mind?” She gawked at him when he stood.

“Too damn tired to care.” He staggered to his closet. “We have a meeting at eight with…oh, I have no idea, but we have to be at the office in an hour.” When he came out of his closet, he had on a pair of sweats. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

She was thinking. Not a good thing when all she could think about was his delicious body. “Oh, umm, well.”

“Cat got your tongue?”

“You should have woken me.” She leapt to her feet.

“I thought about it, but I needed to sleep.” He rubbed his jaw. “We need to talk, alone.”

“I need a shower,” she said, trying to push past him to the door.

“We could talk in there. Kind of like killing two birds with one stone.” He stood directly in front of the doorway, his arm blocking her path.

“I don’t think that’s wise.”

“I haven’t done a wise thing since I met you.” His hand held her forearm, pulling her close. When his soft lips brushed against her cheek, her body ignited. “But go ahead. I’ll make coffee and we’ll talk this out.”

“Thanks.” The muscles in her thighs felt like Jell-O as she made her way around the corner into the bathroom.

The next few hours were filled with meetings and press conferences. The only lead they had was her stepbrother. Not a very comforting thought. Shauna didn’t think she could take much more.

But she would have to endure another murder.

In this latest crime scene at a local hotel, the killer left a little calling card. Just for her; her world crumbled down in her lap.

“What the hell does this mean?” Scott held up the plastic bag with the note inside.

The musty lobby pierced her nostrils as she fought the tears struggling to break free.

“Is that from your journal?” Travis whispered in her ear.

She didn’t acknowledge him. She didn’t have to. “What does it say?” she asked, not wanting to touch it.

“You remember me yet? I’m coming for you, Shauna. You can’t hide from me. Not anymore,” Scott read the note; his harsh words crippled her speech. “Can you explain this?” he barked.

“He’s just trying to rattle us. We’ve both been on the news the last two days. He’s taking what the media is reporting and using it.” She heard Travis say the words, but she knew he didn’t believe them.

He was lying for her.

“The last time he pointed to me. It’s a game,” Travis added.

“You two are off for a few days. I want you to take ‘til Monday. Hopefully, the dust will settle by then,” Scott said.

“You can’t take—” Shauna started to say, but closed her mouth when she felt Travis step on her foot.

“Monday, my office at eight.” Scott turned and stormed off.

Travis shoved Shauna toward his truck.

“How dare you! Are you just going to let him take us off the case?” She glared at him after they had settled in the pickup and skidded into traffic.

“Use your brain.”

“I am—oh.” She paused. “He only did that to save face and give us the weekend to dig to our heart’s content.”

“You got it, sweetheart. I thought we could take everything up to Jake. He’s got a bunch of

ideas he wants to share with us, anyway.” He turned to look at her, briefly. “And you and I have to have a serious conversation before that happens.” His hands gripped the steering wheel.

****

The drive to Lake George was an exercise in self-control for Travis. When Jake had called the other day with the information on Shauna and the time frame of her short disappearance, he knew Jane Doe had returned. He should have seen it earlier. Hell, he knew it earlier, just didn’t want to believe another woman he cared for would lie to him…betray him like that.

First, there was her uncanny ability to read so much into the killer’s motives.

Not ability, but personal knowledge. Okay, maybe some ability. He had to give her some credit.

Then there was her drive to catch this particular rapist. All the research she had done in school. No one put that much time into something unless…they had a personal stake in it.

Rape didn’t get any more personal.

The missing journals had really thrown him. He had no idea what to make of that. At first, he thought the killer was just messing with them, daring them. Pushing
his
buttons. But it all made sense now. The Princess Killer knew she’d returned and was enjoying his own personal game.

Bastard.

Travis glanced at the speedometer. He was doing ninety, so he eased off the gas pedal. Damn emotions were clouding his judgment.

She admitted someone raped her. But omitted by whom. He tried to be mad that she had lied. She’d done everything to hide behind

her identity. But he directed his anger toward a murderous psycho. The whacko had killed his sister, and raped the woman he…
no,
h
e didn
’
t
.

He looked down at her. She rested her head in his lap and had fallen asleep. He ran his fingers across her chin and took a deep breath, forcing his eyes back to the road.

“Damn it,” he whispered as he gripped the steering wheel. She had been feeding him pieces of information all along and he had been putting them together. But she didn’t trust him enough to just come out and tell him.

Fear gripped at his heart. He knew the killer was coming after her. He’d have to find a way to protect her. But first, he had to get her to tell him the truth. He wanted that from her. He needed that from her.

He ran his fingers through her hair, keeping his eyes on the Northway. Part of him wanted to shake her, he was so mad. The other part wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, make everything all right for her.

She had put her life on the line and he knew in his heart it wasn’t just to catch the killer, but to stop him.

He shook her shoulder, gently. “Wake up, sweetheart.”

She rubbed her eyes, sitting up. “Where are we?”

“My parents’ place.” He pulled her out of the truck and into his arms.

“I can walk,” she mumbled, nuzzling her face into his neck.

“Sure you can.” Travis fumbled with the door, careful not to drop her. He moved down the hallway to his room. Gently, he laid her down on his bed.

She took in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. Her body stretched like a cat. “Travis?” Her eyes never opened, but her arms reached out for him.