Oracle Rising (20 page)

Oh, and his guy parts.

Rhett knew he was in trouble. She was shutting herself off. He didn't want her to hurt. He tried to remember how to talk to the opposite sex.

For him, it was hard.

She freaked him out, but not only because of her gift. She was under his skin from the second their eyes met.

Speaking of eyes, her sexy brown ones were warm and filled with something he longed to fix. When she tucked her hair behind her ears, he could see the small heart earrings.

They were so innocent.

They spoke a great deal about her. He couldn’t remember his ex ever wearing tiny little hearts.

Hell!

She didn't have one in her chest, why wear them in her ears? No, this woman was different.

“Can I make it up to you?” he offered. Rhett was about to wing it, and he only hoped she’d go for it.

“There’s nothing to make up, Sheriff. We should focus on the killer, not me. I don’t matter.”

Her words struck a chord in his heart. He’d felt like that for the longest time. His soul had been battered, bruised, and ripped to pieces.

“I think you’re wrong. For the record, you do matter.”

She looked over at him.

His heart skipped. The doe eyes nearly brought him to his knees. She was gorgeous and so vulnerable. That appealed to him.

“Can I start over?”

She didn't speak.

“Hi there. I’m an idiot, and I’m going to continually put my foot in my mouth. You can call me Rhett, but most other females call me a disaster.”

The corners of her lips turned up.

“I say totally in appropriate things at all the wrong times, and I’m not wearing underwear. Today will be the last time that happens.”

She laughed.

Rhett was staggered by her smile. When she let herself go, she looked angelic.

He couldn’t let his stupidity ruin this. He thought back to what Avalon had just said. He was supposed to go with his gut, so he would.

“I’d like to make amends.”

“And how will you do that?”

“Let me get to know you.”

Juliett stopped smiling. He wasn’t joking around anymore. Instead, his face was very serious, and his energy was nervous. He wasn’t kidding anymore. “What?”

“We’re going to work together, so maybe we can have dinner tonight. You can tell me about you, and I can stop being a dick.”

She didn't know what to say. “Wait, are you asking me out?”

He blushed. “Yes, and if that’s the way you’re answering me, I’ve obviously done it wrong. It’s usually a yes or no question. Although, I haven’t been on a date in a while, so maybe they added a third choice. Did they?”

She didn't know what to say.

“I called this a freak show, but I don’t know anything about you, or them. Take me up on my offer, and let me learn.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. When men take me out, they figure out what I’m really like. I don’t only have a killer in my head, but I have something far worse as a curse.”

He didn't ask.

“Later, we can talk about it. I’m a pretty stable guy, so I think I can handle anything you throw at me,” he offered. Rhett knew he wasn’t gaining any ground.

He’d made a mess of this, and he couldn’t blame the woman for turning him down. They didn't even know each other and here he was, asking her out.

He was a total jackass and he knew it.

“Can I tell you a secret?” he offered.

She blinked at him. “I guess.”

“I noticed you yesterday, and the first thing I thought was that you were beautiful.”

She opened, and then closed her mouth, unsure what to say to that.

“I’m serious. I saw you in the crowd, and I was intrigued. I know you probably think that’s total BS, but I don’t lie. I’m a straight shooter. I tell it like I see it.”

Juliett didn't know what to do.

She was really bad with the opposite sex. Had he been dying, she’d have a better shot at relating.

The dying she got.

It was the living who freaked her out.

“I had my deputy follow you because I was going to come by and introduce myself. I drove by here last night, and that’s how I knew the Hummer when it did its drive by today.”

This couldn’t be happening.

She had to be dreaming.

Juliett was at a loss.

“What do you say? It’ll just be a pizza and a beer for dinner. I’ll be a gentleman, and you can tell me all about this mess. I’d like to hear it from your perspective, since you’re living it.”

She thought about it.

The man was trying to be nice, and he didn't really want to have dinner with her. He wanted to have dinner with the woman who saw the killer.

“I’ll think about it.”

He was disappointed, but there was a fine line between harassment and asking a lady out.

It was called stalking.

“You do that. How about we head in and talk about this mess? I want to get started before he kills again. I’m beginning to get the impression that he’s in a rush to add to the body count.”

He had no idea.

If the sheriff only knew what he was dealing with, he wouldn’t be asking her out to eat. He’d be quitting his job and heading to another town.

The further away, the better.

Rhett held out his hand, offering it to her. A part of him wanted to see if she’d actually take it, or if she’d chicken out. He was betting she was brave.

Actually, he was hoping.

Juliett hesitated. The act of touching was intimate to her. It was how she helped people cross.

“I don’t bite. I won’t hurt you, Juliett. I promise.”

She let him pull her to her feet, despite that voice in her head warning her otherwise.

“See? We both survived.”

Juliett followed him in, getting the sick feeling in her gut. He could say that now, but before this was over, she was pretty sure she would be dead.

The killer was coming, and she was in his way.

Chapter EIGHT

He was incredibly satisfied by the outcome.

Already, the news was reporting the fires and giving out some of the details. While they didn't have the whole story, it still pleased him that he was able to scare them all.

They should be afraid.

The women he took deserved it, and so did so many more. They weren’t worthy of the precious gift of life, and they proved it each and every day. They were flawed, and he was sick of watching them go about their day like they were special. They had no morals, allowing themselves to come in contact with the scum of the earth.

They weren’t privileged, but they certainly acted like they were. It sickened him. What did he have to do to show the world that they were deserving of their death?

Would he have to make it more obvious?

Was that what it would take?

Then fine.

He would do just that.

Someone had to make the guilty pay. Being born with privilege wasn’t something to be proud of, so, he made their destruction his job.

They were easy, spoiled, rotten, egotistical, and all the other horrible characteristics that made up a flawed woman who chased after unworthy men.

As far as he was concerned, they didn't deserve to live.

He hoped, when the fires engulfed them, they had a few moments to reflect on their pathetic lives.

He hoped they suffered, knowing they were vile, disgusting creatures, not worthy of breath.

In the end, he hoped they wept bitter tears like he had.

The good died young, and the evil died in pain.

That was his motto, and he couldn’t help but live it. All his life, he felt the need to level the playing field, taking up the gauntlet of revenge, and here it was.

He watched people like him suffer, and the ordinary, boring ones be praised.

Enough was enough.

He’d take a break tonight, giving the town a little time to absorb the magnitude of what he was doing to them.

He wanted them to suffer.

He wanted them scared.

In the end, it would be him that delivered the killing blow to their hearts, souls, and pathetic lives.

He would show them.

It would be beautiful.

No more would there be leverage for the non-freaks. The damaged ones, by the hands of the perfect ones, would rise up and take back what was theirs.

Life.

It was far from over. Let her try and stop him with her weak, pathetic mind.

He was unstoppable.

In the end, he’d win.

Why?

Because he was due.

       
                
* * *
  O R A C L E   * * *

Juliett’s Cabin

Team Meeting

It was time to come clean and break this case down for the sheriff. They had a job to do, and it was going to take all of them working as a well-structured unit to handle it.

When he returned from his talk with Juliett, she didn't look any calmer, and that worried Nate. At the core of this were the women, and they had to be on their game.

They were already at a disadvantage, and the last thing he needed was some underlying issue starting to brew. Sexual tension was a bitch, and he should know. He’d fallen headfirst into it.

“Are you both okay?” he asked, crossing his fingers.

Juliett nodded, saying nothing. If she spoke, she would be forced to lie. She was confused, worked up, and not sure what to think. She wanted to believe the sheriff had been honest, but she’d been burned before.

No one ever really wanted to get to know her.

They’d say that, but when the ugly came out, they were running for the hills.

She was accustomed to it.

For once, she wanted a chance. The deck was always stacked against her, and she didn't want to hurt anymore. Instead, it would be nice to feel something other than disappointment and death.

“I’m good,” the sheriff offered, taking a seat on the couch. He was hoping the brunette would sit beside him, warming up to him, but she didn't.

In fact, she picked a spot furthest from him.

Boy, she really hated him, and he couldn’t blame her. After all, he’d insulted her.

“We should get you up to speed with the other deaths,” Nate offered.

“Good idea.”

He pulled out the information Callie had emailed him. He didn't make copies for everyone, since Nate didn't know they were going to have company.

“I had my sister do some research for me.”

“Your sister?” Rhett asked. “Isn’t that a little odd?”

“She’s a doctor and profiler at FBI West. It’s her thing,” he reassured. “She’s damn good at her job.”

“So, it’s a family affair.”

He had no idea. His partner had married his sister’s husband’s sister. They were woven so closely together, that at times it confused everyone. They’d stopped trying to explain, and instead, they simply said ‘brother’ or ‘sister’. It was easier, and no one questioned it.

“It is. Just like you followed in your father’s footsteps, we did too. My dad was a cop, much like yours. Callista and I both became Feds, and we live that life.”

He appreciated that in people. Justice was a hard sought thing, and cops often got a bad rap.

Nate opened the file. As he leaned back on the other couch, Avalon tucked herself against his side. It was one of her favorite places to be.

“We have four other deaths,” he began.

The man grabbed the paper and pen on the table to make notes. “Go ahead.”

“Our first victim from Laramie is Audry Huber. She was a college student there.”

He scribbled notes.

Everyone else listened, getting briefed on the case.

“She was a brunette with green eyes,” Nate offered. “What sets her apart is that she didn't die as brutally as the others,” he stated.

“She was his first kill,” the sheriff commented. “It was probably his practice run.”

“It was,” stated Juliett. “I remember it. She screamed, but then it stopped. He killed her before she was burned.”

Nate flipped to the autopsy report, searching for the details. “She’s right. There was no smoke found in her lungs. She was dead beforehand, found in her apartment. Her hyoid was broken.”

“So, she was strangled to death. Was there any rape?” Jagger asked.

Nate searched. “I don’t’ see any here.”

They all glanced over at Juliett. “He didn't sexually assault her.”

Rhett Longfellow made notes. “Who’s next?”

“We have Ola Pollard. She worked as a nanny for a wealthy couple. They reported her missing, and the next day her body turned up.”

“Where?” asked Rhett.

Before Nate could answer, once more, Juliett filled in the details. “In her car. He took her to an abandoned road, beat her, and then lit the car on fire.”

Nate checked. “She’s right.”

Rhett stared at her. “All that’s going on in your head?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry, Juliett. That has to suck.”

She was expecting disgust, but instead there was only sympathy.

It helped her relax.

Avalon spoke up, “It feels like he was starting to lose his mind by then. He beat the woman, and I don’t think it was because she fought. He’s not sane.”

They all looked over at her.

“Care to explain?” Nate asked.

“His mind is fractured. Where Juliett, and myself, were born with our gifts, he wasn’t. His came about because of a trauma. He’s incredibly dangerous, because he’s unpredictable. When you’re given this gift at birth, your mind grows with it. You adjust.”

“His didn't?”

“No, the opposite is true. He’s struggling with it. He thinks he’s been given this power, and he’s not able to stay in the here and now.”

That didn't sound good to any of them.

“Did Audry and Ola have anything in common?” Rhett asked.  Hopefully, there would be a link of some sort.

“Nothing,” stated Nate. “The investigating officers didn't find anything that tied them together. According to the reports, they were random.”

“Great.”

“Oh, it gets worse,” Juliett stated. “He gets sicker and sicker with each kill, and now that he’s playing to me, as his audience, it’s out of control.” She recalled it all from her nightmares.

He felt for her. This had to be brutal on her. As a cop, he hated death, but as a civilian, unaccustomed to it, she had to be scared out of her mind.

“The third victim, from Laramie, was Stephanie Stark. She was a brunette with blue eyes. She was a single mother who didn't have her kids that night. They were with their father.”

“Thank God,” muttered Juliett. “He was particularly vicious.”

Nate flipped to the autopsy report. “He raped, beat, and then burned her in the house, only she didn't go all the way up in flames.”

“He tied her to the bed and laughed as she screamed in pain. She was the first victim who was alive at the time. The second he did it, he was filled with a sense of pleasure.”

They all listened.

“He really was sadistic that night. He wanted her to hurt. He got off on it.”

Nate pushed on. “Lastly, we have Estelle Erickson. She was a blonde with brown eyes, and she was a business woman. Apparently, Estelle owned a couple boutiques.”

“What kind?” he asked.

Nate dug for the information.

“One was a sex shop, one was a lingerie store, and she was opening a clothing store,” stated Avalon, seeing it in her mind. “She was branching out.”

“Where did he burn her?” Rhett asked.

“It was in one of her shops,” stated Juliett. “I think it was the sex shop, but I can’t be sure. It was all a blur. He was amped up that night, and he was bombarding my mind with so many thoughts, It was hard to sort through them. I do know he sexually assaulted her. That was crystal clear in my head. After killing Stephanie Stark, he wanted to make her pay even more, so he humiliated her even more.”

They all sympathized with her.

“Could this be about sex?” Rhett asked. “She owned a kink store. Could this be some dick who is offended by people getting off? Is it his way of lashing out at them?”

“We won’t know until we connect the dots,” stated Nate. “That’s a good place to start, and we’ll work that angle too. Who knows where it’ll take us?”

“We can’t sit around trying to figure him out,” Rhett blurted. “By then, more women will be dead. There has to be something we can do.”

Nate had an idea. “I’m going to get us a profile. I’ll call my sister tonight. She dug up the information, so she might have some insight into it.”

“I hope she’s good at what she does. We need a miracle.”

Nate trusted his sister.

She’d never let him down.

“Don’t worry. Callie will deliver.”

Jagger had been reading over Nate’s shoulder. “I’m no investigator, but the detectives handling those cases barely made any notes. It looks like some victims fell through the cracks.”

He didn't disagree at all.

“That’s not happening in Crosspointe. I’m not going to let this killer move on, and someone say the same thing about me. We’re going to do this to the best of my ability. We won’t let it happen again.”

“What I don’t get is why the killer moved here.”

Juliett knew why. “It has to be my fault. He figured out he had an audience, and when I ran, he followed. I’m the reason he’s here. I feel horrible that you’ve had two women die.”

He leaned forward. “This isn't your fault, Juliett. If what Avalon says is right, he’s crazy. There’s no way you had any responsibility for this.”

She hoped he was right.

When she glanced up into his blue gem-like eyes, she felt peace for the first time in a long time. “Thank you for that.”

The crinkles around his eyes when he smiled undid her.

Jesus!

He was sexy as sin.

“What can you tell us about the two victims from this town?” Nate inquired. It was his turn to make notes. While they knew what Juliett told them, he wanted it from a cop’s perspective.

“Well, the ME hasn’t given me all the details, but I can tell you the basics.”

“It’s a place to start,” Jagger stated.