Jane Doe's Return (3 page)

Part of her wanted to tell Travis who she was, but not until she was sure he believed that Marie’s killer still walked the streets. Patience, she reminded herself. She also had to make sure he’d continue to keep her identity from their superiors. She had come too far, endured too much. It wasn’t so much about catching this bastard herself anymore, but she truly believed she had something to offer the violent crimes unit, specifically when it came to rape. “I appreciate the kindness, but I’m your partner. You don’t have to open doors and carry my things.”

The corner of his mouth tilted. “Shauna, I understand. Really I do, but I can’t help it.” He waved the waitress over.

“Hey, Trav. What’s up?” A cute young blonde bounced over with two glasses of water in her hands. She smiled, making Shauna feel even more out of place. She adjusted her shirt collar, brushing her hair behind her shoulders.

“Hi, Bonnie. The usual for me. Shauna?” Travis shifted his eyes from Bonnie to her.

“What’s the usual?”

“Diet Coke with a lemon.” He flashed a grin.

“Same for me,” Shauna said.

“If it were after eight, he’d order a beer. Only one.” Bonnie patted his head. “But he’s a good tipper.”

“Hey! Watch the hair.” He swatted her hand away.

“I’ll bring the Cokes over and put an order in for pizza. You like sausage?” Bonnie looked at Shauna.

“Sausage and pepperoni.” Shauna glanced at Travis, who nodded. Damn, the man was way too agreeable. She wondered what he would have done if she ordered anchovies or maybe some vegetarian pizza.

“Keep an eye on this one and make sure he’s being a gentleman,” Bonnie added playfully.

As if he’d be anything else.

“This is my new partner,” he clarified.

Well, at least he used the word partner. Score one for Travis.

“Wow. Female agent. Very cool. Glad it’s not a date. You’re definitely way too classy.” Bonnie grinned over her shoulder as she swayed away.

“Since we are on the subject of being partners, I’d like to discuss something with you.” Shauna took a sip of water, thinking about how to set the ground rules. She needed to gain his trust and learn from him. Not just about her job, but about what he knew and how he could help her. “Specifically being treated as an equal.”

“For the record, I had a woman partner when I was with the New York City Police Department. She hated it when anyone treated her differently, but she never minded me being a gentleman,” he said, seemingly amused.

Fool was too cute for his own good. Or maybe hers.

“What does that mean?” She wiped the dew from her water glass.

“It means, you being a woman has nothing to do with your ability as an agent, but everything to do with the fact that I’m a gentleman.” He tipped his glass to her and then smiled, showing off his straight, white teeth before lifting the drink to his lips.

The pizza arrived with perfect timing. She needed to digest his words, but until she got to know him on a more professional level, she would reserve her opinion and choose her words more carefully.

Her identity would stay a secret until he showed her he believed the real killer still lurked behind a shadow. Waiting for her.

Chapter Two 

After dinner, Shauna followed Travis back to his pickup. The crisp air did nothing to settle her nerves. She scanned the city streets, hoping Travis didn’t notice her trembling hands.

“I can’t change this habit, but trust me, I know who you are,” he said as he opened the door.

Her muscles tensed and she paused. He knew nothing, and yet, he probably knew everything. An uneasy feeling washed over her as she settled into the passenger seat and he in the driver’s seat.

“How about you take a look at that file?” He pulled out into traffic and headed toward Wolfe Road, where the temporary housing was located.

“I’d almost forgotten.” She reached for the file, brushing his hand as he went for it at the same time. She looked over at him. “Umm, let me see.” She fumbled with the papers, not liking the effect he seemed to have on her as a woman.

“Why don’t we sit down and look at it together.” His voice calmed her, which made her more uncomfortable.

He pulled into a parking lot.

“Thought this was a temporary housing unit or something?”

“The units are all basically mini-apartments used by our department and some major corporations. It’s not that bad,” he said with a slight smile.

She checked herself in and they made their way down the dimly lit hallway toward her room.

“Okay. What’s the problem with this case?” she asked, after he pushed back the door. Her new surroundings didn’t do much for her, so working seemed like a much better plan.

“Not sure,” Travis said, then stopped and glanced over his shoulder, shrugging. “Really, I’ve seen worse.”

Looking around her new living space, she tried to tell herself Travis had a point. The hideous, sagging brown couch that was pushed back against the not so white wall could be spruced up with a bright colored cover. She remembered a flower shop they’d passed and figured the ugly Sixties throwback table might look quite homey with some fresh mixed flowers, really scented ones, because the musty aroma in the room choked her.

“They’re going to do renovations soon.” Travis tossed her key on the table and took her suitcases to an open door. “The bedroom doesn’t get any better.” He left her suitcases by the door, then turned. “You got the file?”

“Oh, yeah.” She spread the file on the kitchen table before sitting down across from him. She shuffled the papers over the flat surface, then blew out a puff of air and tried to concentrate. As she scanned the initial police report her heart hammered behind her ribcage. She knew this case. Well, not exactly, but based on what she could gather, she knew whoever killed this young girl had tried to kill her, too.

She did her best to keep her heart rate as flat as possible as excitement pulsed through her veins. It wasn’t the kind of excitement that made her feel good, but in some ways, it gave her strength. Not only had she been given her dream job, but now her rapist had been handed to her on a silver platter. She would study this man. This rapist. Murderer. Find his weak spot and put an end to his terror. It wouldn’t end there. So many other victims cried for justice and she’d do her best to give it to them—all of them.

Twenty minutes ticked by as she did her best to concentrate on the file, and not her own emotional roller-coaster ride. She was a full-fledged agent now, and she needed to behave like one on all levels. She reminded herself that this was no longer about what happened to her, but catching a killer, plain and simple.

Travis didn’t really say anything to her, just pretended not to watch her. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. She asked a few questions and studied the case, keeping herself as detached as possible.

Lifting two pictures in the air, she compared them. In one picture, the victim’s head was tilted just to the left. The same angle had been used for the second picture, but the head appeared to be straight. Then she noticed a safety pin pressed deep in the green shag carpet in the first picture, but the pin wasn’t in the second one.

Taking a deep breath, she brought her focus back to the pictures. Not only had the crime scene been tampered with, but this case was older than she thought. She swallowed, knowing others had died.

“That’s it.” She nudged his arm.

“Huh?” He took the pictures and looked at them.

She rubbed her hands on her slacks and pointed to the safety pin.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see that before.”

She sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. “Yeah, right.”

“What do you see?” he questioned with a straight face.

“I think you know what I see,” she said, frustrated.

“Tell me.” He pushed the pictures in front of her.

“The crime scene was tampered with after the first initial photographs were taken.” She flipped over the pictures and pointed to the times written on the back. “And this case is about eight years old.” She tried to swallow, unsure of what her next move should be. Clearly, her skills were being put to the test, but why this case?

“The guy charged with the case was put away, but not for this murder. Too many things were disturbed at the scene to pin it on him, not to mention the unprofessional way the evidence was treated. To make matters worse, there were no other suspects. Case closed on a technicality.” He turned his chair and leaned back, clasping his hands behind his head.

She knew Travis had to have personal feeling attached to this particular case. She shoved the pictures aside, desperately trying to keep the flashes of the past from interfering with the present. “So, did I pass?”

He gave a slight smile.

“That was a little underhanded.”

“My job is to train you. If I presented this as a test, you would have approached it differently, instead of using your instincts. Which, by the way, are damn good.” He stood and stretched.

When he twisted his back to the side, she let her eyes drop, then blushed.

“I better get going. We have a court date at nine.”

She led the way to the door thinking about her partner in ways that would most likely be considered unprofessional. Compartmentalize, she reminded herself. Keep each detail of her life in its appropriate box and all would be good. “We do?”

His long fingers squeezed her upper arm sending a pulse down her body. Stiffening her spine, she forced the physical senses to the side and concentrated on her mission. The only way Travis fit into the picture was through the information he could provide. Her attraction to the man would just interfere with not only her career goals, but her personal goals as well.

Abruptly, he pulled his hand away. “Never a dull moment. I’ll pick you up a 7:45. Goodnight.”

“Thanks.” She closed the door and took in a deep breath, looking around at an apartment which had little to offer. “I can do this.” She blinked a few times. The same faceless man who had been haunting her mind for years laughed at her. “I’m coming for you,” she whispered. The only way she knew how to close to the door on her past was to find the guy who had nearly destroyed her.

****

Travis pulled down his street noticing an extended cab pickup sitting in his driveway. “Great.” He parked next to Jake Hanson’s truck. “What brings you by?”

“Working a dumbass case for some rich chick.” Jake stepped from his vehicle and stretched out his tattooed filled arm. “Heard about the latest murder.”

“I bet you did,” Travis said. “It’s late. I’ve got court in the morning.”

“Won’t stay long. One beer and enough time to make myself presentable before I head home.” Jake threw his hands wide and grinned.

“Fine.” Travis headed for his apartment. “You

really need a shave.”

“Yeah. The wife will have a cow if I go home like this. Not to mention the little princess of the house won’t greet her daddy with all this stubble. She says it’s not good for her complexion or some such nonsense.”

“How old is Katie?”

“Five, but she’s very high maintenance.” Jake laughed.

“Because you spoil the hell out of her.” Travis pushed back his door and let Jake pass. The man was built like a tank, but not very tall. Most people were afraid of him because of his gruff exterior, but he was a big softy. And a sap to boot. “I’ve got an extra razor. You can shower here if you want.

“Thanks.” Jake made himself at home by snagging a couple of beers from the refrigerator and sitting down in Travis’s favorite chair. Then Jake kicked off his shoes and put his dirty, smelly feet on the coffee table.

“Why don’t you shower first?”

“OK.” Jake guzzled his beer before thankfully heading to the bathroom. “I’ve been doing surveillance for about three days now.”

“Yeah. I can smell it.”

Travis tossed Jake a few towels and then headed to his room. He stood on his bed and taped the pictures of the girls from his office to his bedroom ceiling. Never again would he allow himself to lose focus.

After all the pictures were in place, he laid down, resting his head on his pillows and stared at the constant reminders. He hadn’t learned anything new by showing an old case to his new partner, except that his partner was probably smarter than him. It certainly hadn’t constituted a test, not in the eyes of his employer, but having a different set of eyes always helped add perspective, especially when there was no biased attached to her viewpoint. However, it still proved to be a futile attempt at trying to find the missing piece.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Jake’s voice boomed across the room. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re weird?” Jake glanced at the ceiling.

“All the damn time.”

“Does the murder from the other night fit into your theory?” Jake stood at the foot of the bed.

“You almost look like a normal, upstanding guy,” Travis said.

“Don’t change the subject. I know you.”