“So who are you?” The woman continued, unconcerned with the rudeness of her question.
“We’re nobody, just a couple who happen to enjoy the opera. If you ladies will excuse me,” Ethan gave them both a smile, before heading over to the cash register, discreetly tucked into the corner of the boutique.
Arrangements to send the dress to their condo were completed before Jerry ever exited the dressing room.
~~~
During dessert at the third café they’d patronized, Jerry received a text from Nate. Her smile froze in place as she read the cryptic message. It took effort to make it genuine as she raised her face to Ethan and the crowded room.
“Ooh, look honey, the dealer can deliver our painting this afternoon. I’m so excited, can we leave now?” She handed the phone to Ethan.
“Found her. Meet back at your place” was the message that sent a shiver of dread along Ethan’s skin. “Sure, sweetie, let’s go.” Handing her the phone, he tossed several bills on the table and stood to take her hand.
The tall, black haired man in the corner watched them leave. He’d been watching them since they came in, from his perch behind an oversized palm tree. She was perfect; tall, stunning with the same luscious brown hair as his Beth.
He’d come out today in hopes of running into the new couple, having seen their image plastered on the society section of the newspaper for the past few days. He wondered if she was as lovely in person as the camera suggested. He was not disappointed.
His sweet Sonja had proven to be a disappointment. Watching the life drain from her eyes had not given him the satisfaction he’d anticipated. It was because her Randall left town too soon, he thought, forcing him to move up the seduction timetable before he’d had a chance to adequately get to know her. He’d only been following Sonja a week before Randall left, giving him the opening he needed. He’d rushed the whole thing, not even taking time to find a replacement.
As soon as he’d seen Jerry’s image in the paper, he’d known she was the one. Now that he had found her in person, he was certain. The way she moved her head when she laughed at the supposed Duke, reminded him of Beth. When she walked away from the table, her hips swayed with natural provocation, just like Beth’s.
He would take his time with this one, he thought, taking a last sip of coffee. No matter if he had to romance her from underneath Bennett’s nose, he would make this one special. Keeping his eyes on the pair as they waited at the crosswalk, he casually stood and followed them down the street.
Chapter Twelve
“A chopper spotted her on a ledge, miles from nowhere. There are a few hiking trails in the area, but it’s not a very populated spot. Forensics is searching for tire tracks, footprints, and anything else, on the landing above the cliffs. We could get lucky; it hasn’t rained in a few days, so the freshest ones could be his.” Nate’s image on the monitor looked weary.
“There’s no doubt that it’s Sonja?” Jerry asked.
“No, it’s definitely her. Time of death is roughly forty-six hours ago. She’s remarkably well-preserved for being left in the wild for two days.”
“Same M.O.?” Dylan’s long gait was eating up the hardwoods in front of the wall of windows.
“Clean slice on her neck, right to left. Tossed her over the cliff like she was a ragdoll. Sucker’s powerful; Sonja was not a petite girl.”
“None of them have been petite. He likes his women tall.” Ethan interjected.
“Did you guys spot anyone fitting his description this morning?” Nate asked.
“Not really. Men with longish black hair are not exactly a phenomenon in this part of the country. San Francisco has its share of hippies. But no one matching the description, and also resembling a linebacker, wearing designer clothing, stood out. And he would.” Jerry left the pacing to Dylan; she’d already done her share of walking for the day. Instead, she and Ethan sat together on the sofa.
“What about you, Dylan, did Kim, or the neighbor, know anything useful?”
“Actually, yes. The neighbor confirmed the description of the red Mas, but she didn’t offer much else. Kim gave us a list of places that Sonja frequented, said Sonja was a stickler for her schedule, up until Oscar came on the scene. She confirmed what she’d already told Jerry, the guy had money and a British accent. Other than that, she didn’t have many details. Sonja was uncharacteristically private about their relationship.”
“Matches what we already know.” Nate began scribbling something on the pad in front of him. “Dylan, go back to Kim and let her know that we found Sonja. Jerry, call Kim soon afterward, to check in. Try to get close to her, be a friend. She may know something more than what she’s told Dylan, even if she doesn’t remember it now. She’s the closest link we’ve got to his latest victim.”
“Will do, Boss.” Dylan and Jerry spoke in unison.
“Ethan, meet me at the drop-kill zone. I’m sending the coordinates and a car. Maybe you’ll notice something similar to his other drop zones.”
“On my way.” Ethan nodded.
“Jerry, watch your back. Just because you didn’t see him this morning, doesn’t mean that he didn’t spot you.” Nate’s stern warning filled the room.
“Yes, sir.” Jerry gave him a reassuring smile, just before the screen went black.
“He’s right. We could have missed him, especially if he was behind us. Neither of us were very observant when we left the café.” Ethan frowned.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll be here until Rodney takes me to Kim’s, assuming I get an invitation.”
“Get an invitation.” Dylan growled and stopped pacing. Nate’s right, she’s the best link we have to Sonja, at the moment.”
“I know.” Jerry looked up at Dylan. “Get out of here, would ya? The sooner you make notification, the sooner I can do my thing.”
“I’m going.” Dylan tweaked her head as he walked by the couch. “Be careful, princess.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jerry answered.
“Yes, please be careful.” Ethan turned to her as Dylan closed the door. “He could already be watching you.”
“Jeez, you’d think that I was a shrinking violet. You do remember that I’m a trained agent, right?”
“Yes, I remember. But I still want you to be careful.” Ethan leaned over to squeeze her hand. Just then, his phone buzzed. “Looks like the car’s here. I’m off.”
“You be careful, too.” Jerry grinned up at him, surprised when she saw Ethan’s face lean down to hers. The kiss he dropped on her forehead was both friendly, and filled with promise.
~~~
“Call Kim now, Jerry. She’s a mess.” Dylan’s voice was terse over the phone, but Jerry understood. Notifications were never easy. “I’m sure she can use a friend.”
“I’m sure she could.” Jerry’s voice was filled with sympathy. “How about you?”
“I’m not the one to worry about, but that was rough.” Dylan conceded.
“I know. Those two were close. Are you coming back here?”
“Not yet. I think I’ll join Nate and Ethan at the crime scene. I’ll see you later. Be careful.”
“Will do.” Jerry tried to hide her irritation at the men’s constant warnings to be careful. She knew how to handle herself; Dylan and Nate damn well knew it.
Kim answered on the first ring, tears evident in her voice.
“Kim? It’s Jerry. Are you okay, what’s wrong?” Jerry didn’t have to pretend concern. Her heart broke for the young woman who’d just lost her best friend.
“It’s Sonja. She’s dead.” Kim wailed through the receiver.
“Dead? Are you alone, can I come over? You shouldn’t be alone.” Jerry’s innate sense of compassion overtook any agency training.
“Could you? The FBI agent just left, and I don’t know what to do.” Kim sounded so grateful, Jerry nearly winced at the deception. But it couldn’t be helped.
“I’m on my way.” Jerry disconnected, grabbed her purse, and bolted for the door.
r /> She didn’t notice the shiny, dark blue sedan, pull away from the curb as she and Rodney drove by. Rodney picked up the tail almost immediately.
“Looks like we’ve got company.” He told her, glancing in the rearview mirror.
“Someone is following us?” Surprised, Jerry nearly turned to look out the back window, but she stopped in the nick of time. “Can you see the driver?”
“No, he’s staying too far behind. I’m gonna do an experiment. Sit tight.” Rodney told her just before he swerved sharply to the left, making an unannounced turn. Jerry skidded halfway across the seat.
Is he still there?” she asked.
“Yep, still with us. What should I do, keep going to Kim’s?”
“No, pull over at the first coffee shop you see. I’ll jump out and grab a few things to take to Kim’s. If he stays with us, we’ll know it’s him.”
“There’s one up ahead, but I can’t find a close park. I’m not letting you walk down the street by yourself.”
“Don’t be silly, Randall. Grabbing a woman off the street is not his M.O. He likes to wine and dine his victims, lull them into a relationship. Besides, I know how to protect myself.” Jerry’s tone was more exasperated than it would normally have been, but she was fed up with the males in her world thinking she needed their protection.
“Okay, okay. Don’t get so snooty. I’m just following orders. It’s a moot point, anyway, a space just opened up.” He guided the large car into a parallel parking space.
Jerry didn’t even look around as she exited the car, even though the desire to do so was palpable. She took her time walking to the coffee shop, stopping to admire the display in the adjacent boutique. The reflection of a shiny blue sedan passed smoothly beside her town car, driving slower than necessary. She strained to see the driver’s reflection, but couldn’t for the tinted windows.
Rodney was busy jotting down the license plate numbers as the blue sedan passed by. He called it in as he watched the car stop at the next stop sign, before making a left turn.
Jerry came back to the car laden with two large coffees and a box of pastries. The dark blue sedan was nowhere to be seen.
“Did you get the license?” She asked Rodney as she slid into the backseat.
“They’re running it now.” He told her.
“Where did he go?”
“Turned left at the next corner. If he’s going around the block, he should be coming up on us again, soon.”
“Let’s sit a moment and find out.”
Before Jerry had finished the sentence, the dark blue sedan turned left onto the street behind them. Rodney spotted it immediately. “There he is. Time to go.”
Maneuvering the town car back into traffic in front of the sedan was a challenge, but Rodney managed it. Soon, they were headed to Kim’s, the sedan maintaining a discreet distance behind them.
“He’s definitely following us. What do you want to do?” Rodney looked at Jerry in the rearview mirror.
“Go to Kim’s. For all he knows, I’m visiting a friend. How soon before we have the license plate information?”
“Didn’t say, but they know it’s a priority. What’s our next move?”
“I visit Kim, as planned. Even if we have him, she’s expecting me, and she needs a friend right now. You keep an eye on him, try to get a visual on his face. Oh, and contact Nate, bring him up to speed.” Jerry gathered the pastry box and coffee cups, as Rodney pulled to the curb in front of Kim’s building.
“We’re not going to arrest him?” Rodney was surprised.
“On what charge? Driving around in San Francisco? He’s left no DNA evidence, of any kind, on any of the bodies. He’s changed his appearance since Europe, so we can’t legally tie him to those murders. The only evidence we have is the description from a stoned woman, who saw him drive away with Sonja on the day she was killed. That’s not enough to get an arrest warrant, much less a conviction.” Jerry paused with her hand on the door handle. “At this point, we have to catch him in the act, in order to pin the other murders on him. So we play the game.”
Rodney’s eyes grew wide. “So you really are bait, not just a lure. You’re gonna let him try to kill you?”
“That’s the plan.” Jerry nodded. “Call Nate. He’ll want to get a tail on him right away. See ya.” She jumped out of the car before Rodney could ask any more questions. The thoughts of getting close to a killer made her skin crawl, but someone had to do it. The good news was that he was focused on her now, but it disturbed her that she wasn’t aware of when she’d caught his eye. Had her attraction to Ethan interfered with her powers of observation?
Jerry’s musings stopped when Kim opened the door. The woman was obviously distraught and still a little in shock. Jerry made herself at home, tending to her as if she were an old friend.
“I can’t believe that she’s gone.” Kim placed her uneaten pastry on the plate in front of her. “I saw her just the other day, we went to the new boutique opening in the mall. And I talked with her the next day, the day she died,” a sob broke through her words.
“You said you spoke with her on the phone, just before she met Oscar?” Jerry patted Kim’s hand to comfort and encourage her to continue. She hated probing for answers, but Kim could help their case by providing details she may not be aware that she knew.
“Yes. She was so excited, she really believed that Oscar could be it, you know?” Kim blew her nose loudly. “She said he was so kind and attentive, he made her feel like a princess. What kind of man does that? Makes a woman fall for him, then kills her?”
“A sicko, that’s for sure.” Jerry commiserated before prodding further. “What else did she say about him? It might help you to talk about it, and it might help the cops catch him.”
“I know, I’ve been trying to remember ever since that nice FBI agent, Dylan something or other, left. She said he was punctual, wealthy, and British. He was close to our age, I think, maybe in his early thirties. Sonja joked that he didn’t need little blue pills.” Kim turned to Jerry to explain. “Randall is a good bit older than Sonja.”
“Got it.” Jerry smiled and nodded. “Did Sonja mention the places they liked to go?”
“That was one of the things she really liked about him, he wasn’t afraid to be seen with her in public.” Kim shook her head. “One of the worst aspects of dating married men is the isolation. We can do whatever we like, on our own, or with friends. The majority of our time together is spent inside the condo, unless we go out of town.” Kim didn’t appear at all embarrassed to discuss her situation.
“I know what you mean. Before Ethan, I was seeing a married man. It can suck, at times.” Jerry tried to guide Kim back to Sonja and Oscar’s outings. “It’s nice that Sonja was able to enjoy herself these past few weeks.” Jerry winced when she realized what she’d said. Sonja may have enjoyed herself, but she did so with her killer.
Kim didn’t miss the connection. “I know, at least she had fun, and fell in love. That’s always such a nice feeling. Why couldn’t it have been real? Sonja deserved better than that.” Fresh tears began to flow.
“I agree, but let’s focus on the good. Sonja had fun, she was excited about new possibilities. Where did they go?”
“He took her to dinner, fancy ones, you know? Once to The Arbors, and once to Patron’s, but she didn’t mention the others. He also managed to get tickets to that new club, Diablo’s. She loved that, getting all dressed up, and going on real dates.” Kim sniffled.
“Did you ever meet him?” Jerry asked softly.
“No. Sonja said he wanted to keep their relationship private, special. Just between the two of them. That suited her as well. If Randall found out about Oscar, Sonja would be looking for a new place to live, among other things. She wanted to make sure that she had a future with Oscar, before she told Randall anything.”
“That’s understandable.” Jerry offered.
“Oh, my God, Randall. Does he know that Sonja’s dead? Does he know
that she was seeing someone else? I should have asked that nice FBI agent. Sonja wouldn’t want Randall to know about Oscar. She really did care for him. She just wanted something of her own, you know? Marriage and a family.” Kim began searching for Dylan’s card. “He said I could call him. Do you think I’m being silly?”
“No, you’re not. You’re simply looking out for your friend’s wishes. It won’t hurt to call the agent.” Jerry glanced down at the pastry Kim had left on the plate. “Have you eaten anything today? I’m happy to order lunch, or fix something for you, before I leave.”
“I can’t think about food right now, but Charlie’s coming over in a couple of hours. We’re having dinner together. Maybe by then, I’ll feel like eating.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you? I can only imagine what you’re going through, I wish I could be of more help.”
“You’ve been great. We hardly know each other, yet you ran right over here when I needed someone. I really appreciate that.” Kim looked at her gratefully. “It’s time I called a few friends who need to hear about Sonja from me, not on the news.” Kim sighed audibly.
“Would you like me to stay while you make the calls?”
“No, thanks. I really think I need to be alone for a while, you know?”
“Sure. You’ve got my number, call me if you need anything.”
“I will.” Kim gave Jerry a quick hug, before walking her to the door.
~~~
“What’s the word on our friend?” Jerry asked Rodney, as soon as she closed the car door. “I see he’s still parked down the street.”
“The plates are registered to a Sarah Besher, but they don’t match the car he’s driving. He must have switched them, so no help there. Nate put a tail on him, even though I haven’t been able to get a good look at his face.” Rodney pulled away from the curve into traffic and watched as the blue sedan followed suit. “It has to be him, though. Who else would be following us around?”
“No one that I know of.” Jerry sat back in the seat and closed her eyes, glad to be away from Kim’s grief. “If it is the son-of-a-bitch, I hope he makes his move soon.” Rodney read the anger in her voice, loud and clear.
“Nate said to tell you that Casanova left no DNA, or fingerprints that they could find, but they did get a decent tire track near where the body went over the cliff.”