Part 9 (1/2)

9.

10:24 p.m.

His heart beat faster and faster. He had to close his eyes or risk having the organ burst from his chest.

Too much beauty to take it all in at once.

He inhaled deeply, relis.h.i.+ng the scent of fresh, warm blood as it oozed forth, spilling across the flesh. He s.h.i.+vered.

”Isn't it beautiful?”

He opened his eyes. His breath caught. Crimson trailed down her forearms as she reached out to him. The precious blood speckled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s... slipped down her smooth, pale skin.

”Almost as beautiful as you,” he murmured, emotion blurring his gaze.

She smiled. Holding the still warm heart in her palm, she danced around the room to the rise and fall of the music.

The other one joined her... dancing and bathing in the rich blood still teeming with life just as they did in paint as they created their works of art.

How long had he waited for this? Decades. Finally, the ultimate triumph was his for the taking. The consummate vengeance for the most agonizing of injuries was before him. She had taken everything from him, even the will to live.

She should have paid attention. Her selfishness was her ruin. Now she would know the pain and the emptiness. She would be devastated. She would scream and gnash her teeth and tear out her hair when she learned what he had done to her precious ones.

What a shame he wouldn't be here to watch.

10.

Dunbrooke Drive, Wednesday, August 25, 5:48 a.m.

A soft sound woke Jess.

She opened her eyes and blinked, tried to focus. The room was dark. Her pulse sputtered into a faster rhythm.

Dan's house.

His warm body was spooned against her backside. His arm tucked protectively around her waist. The idea that a few months from now they would be able to feel the baby move terrified her just a little. But it also made her wish she could stay right here in his arms all day and never leave the house. She could pretend the evil beyond these walls didn't exist.

A pale glow flashed from the nightstand. Her phone vibrated again.

d.a.m.n. She wasn't ready to face the day yet.

Dan's parents had stayed through the ten o'clock news last night. Jess had humiliated herself by falling asleep on the sofa. Katherine would find a way to make being exhausted an etiquette felony.

Jess had never been good enough for Katherine Burnett's only son. She hadn't been twenty odd years ago and nothing had changed. You are still not one of them, kid.

Stifling a yawn, Jess kicked Corlew out of her head and reached for her cell. She checked the screen. Text message. The number wasn't one from her contact list. Her heart started to pound. She hadn't heard from Spears this week. Was he finally reaching out to her? b.a.s.t.a.r.d. She s.n.a.t.c.hed her gla.s.ses from the nightstand and slid them on as the text opened.

Video.

Could be a proof of life on Rory Stinnett or a message related to her. Holding her breath, Jess tapped the play arrow.

A young man, early to mid twenties, stared into the camera. Cla.s.sical music played in the background. It was something familiar, Beethoven maybe?

”I will not take off my clothes on camera.” The guy in the video laughed. ”No way.”

Dan roused. He peeked over Jess's shoulder, squinted at the screen. ”Who called?”

Jess sat up, Dan's arm and the covers falling away from her. ”It's a video.” Not about Stinnett and maybe not from Spears. Jess didn't know whether to be relieved about that or not. She watched as the handsome young man with the rich chestnut colored hair and glittering brown eyes shook his head again.

The symphony in the background grew louder. He grinned. ”Still not doing it,” he shouted above the concerto of strings, bra.s.s and percussion swelling around him. He wore a University of Auburn t-s.h.i.+rt. He stared directly into the camera. ”Not unless you take yours off, too.”

The video went silent, his smiling face frozen on the screen.

”What the devil was that all about?” Dan wanted to know.

He sat beside Jess now. His hair was mussed and every bare inch of him above the waistband of his boxers made her want to throw her phone across the room and put those earlier thoughts about staying right here into action. Her heart constricted at the idea that, unless it was a mistake, the man-boy really-was in danger. Why the h.e.l.l else would she receive the video?

Maybe the sender entered the number wrong. In her heart she knew that wasn't the case.

”I don't know.” She played the video again. The wall behind the young man was white. There was the occasional glimpse of a bed, the linens tousled, behind him.

Her cell rang. She jumped, almost dropped the d.a.m.ned thing. An image of Chet Harper appeared on the screen.

Dan cursed under his breath. ”I'll go make coffee.”

They both knew what a call from Harper at this hour meant.

Jess cleared her throat and steadied herself. ”Good morning, Sergeant.” She stood and headed for the closet. Might as well get dressed. She had a feeling she was going to miss breakfast with Dan today.

”Morning, ma'am. We have another homicide. The heart was taken from this one, too. Vic's name is Logan Thomas. Twenty-four. Bioengineer. I notified Lieutenant Hayes. Detective Wells is en route to pick you up. Officer Cook is already here, knocking on doors.”

Jess stilled, her hand on the closet door. It took every ounce of courage she owned to ask the next question. ”The victim,” her blood went a little cold with certainty, ”does he have dark hair and eyes? An Auburn t-s.h.i.+rt?”

The hesitation gave Jess the answer before Harper spoke.

”Yes, ma'am. How did you know?”

Fury started to smolder deep in her belly as she grabbed something to wear from the closet. ”I'll explain when I get there. Is the crime scene unit on the way?”

”Yes, ma'am. Officer Cook called Dr. Baron and she's also en route.”

Cook made that call? Really? Jess was going to have to keep an eye on him. Maybe she should speak to him about Sylvia. Then again, maybe she was making too much of the sparks she'd seen flying at the morgue yesterday.

”I'll be there soon, Sergeant,” she promised before ending the call. Braced against the closet door she watched the video again. Was this someone else Spears had invited to play games with her? Though she had not one single piece of tangible evidence to corroborate her theory, she was certain he'd resurrected the Man in the Moon to taunt her.