Page 15 of Mine to Share
“It feels personal, don’t you think?” Jameson mused from the passenger seat, staring out the window, watching the businesses and restaurants pass by.
“Huh?” I questioned, hitting the blinker before taking a sharp right down a residential street.
“Stabbing someone is personal, very hands-on. A gun would have the same result—death. The unsub could shoot them several times to ease the rage. So why a knife?”
“Too loud? We’re not like Texas. Nothing is spread out. If you fire a shot, at least ten people will report the noise.”
“True.” He nodded. “Or the unsub enjoys being up close while they bleed out. The initial stab wounds on the recent victims were to incapacitate and inflict maximum pain, not kill quickly. Which again makes me think there are some personal reasons the unsub chose these specific victims, even though we can’t find a connection.”
I slowed the sedan, pulling alongside the curb and parking behind a police cruiser. Hand on the door handle, I paused before pushing it open to glance over to the passenger seat. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’re carefully choosing to not call the suspect him or her.”
Jameson just smirked.
I raised a brow. “You don’t think it’s a male suspect?”
He fixed a contemplative stare out the windshield. “I don’t have enough information yet, and I don’t want to sway any future theories by pigeonholing us into one way of thinking. There are contradicting pieces of evidence I haven’t figured out.” He narrowed his eyes like that statement pissed the hell out of him. “Yet.Haven’t figured it outyet.”
At that, he swung his door open and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
A low groan rumbled in my throat as I did the same, lumbering out of the low car with my coffee and Rain’s in hand. With the side of my thick thigh, I slammed the door shut, not bothering to lock it with five squad cars around.
The June gloom was in full force, casting a gray haze over the normally bright sun, which helped keep the heat to a nice seventy degrees. I took the lead, Jameson falling a step behind me on the sidewalk as we approached the taped-off area. I nodded at the officer keeping the perimeter secure from nosy neighbors and gestured to Jameson. “He’s with me.”
The young officer nodded, though something shifty about his behavior had me pausing before ducking under the yellow tape.
“He’s FBI,” I continued. “No need to think you’ll get in trouble for letting him into the crime scene.”
“I don’t think the fear in his eyes has anything to do with me,” Jameson mumbled at my side, smirking behind the disposable coffee cup.
I glared down at the officer. “Out with it.”
“I didn’t hit on her,” the kid blurted, hands raised in surrender. “I just stopped by her table to say hi. She looked uncomfortable.”
My stomach dropped, realizing this idiot was about to out my “keep your distance from Rain” rule to the FBI agent listening to every damn word. “Please don’t kill me. Sir.”
Jameson barked a startled laugh but covered it quickly with a fake-as-hell cough. I shot him an annoyed look that only had his smile widening.
What the hell does this jackass find so fucking funny?
With a huff, I turned my attention back to the officer. “I’m not going to kill you, kid. Thanks for making sure she was okay. We’re all good.”
His narrow shoulders dropped, and a relieved smile pulled his lips upward. “Fuck, I was nervous. I grew up watching you plow down men twice my size on Sundays with my dad and—”
“Fucking hell,” I grumbled and stormed toward the front walk that led to the house where the victim waited. “Don’t say a fucking word,” I shot at Jameson.
“Fancy unicorn drink and warning people to stay away,” he mused as we stomped up the three concrete steps to the front porch. I nodded at the officer manning the door. Motioning for Jameson to go first, I followed him down the narrow hall toward the click of cameras and the stench of death. “She must be someone special.”
He had no fucking idea. Though he would as soon as I had the “keep your fucking hands off Rain” talk with him.
“No way.” Rain’s voice came from the bedroom I’d yet to enter since Jameson had paused in the doorway. “Detective Jameson Bend. What in the hell are you doing at my crime scene?”
I shifted to look over his shoulder just as Rain slowly straightened from where she leaned over the body sprawled on the bed.
“Dr. Evans,” Jameson drawled, finally moving so I could enter the room alongside him. Based on the smirk and knowing look in his eyes, the bastard wasn’t surprised to see her like she was him. “It’s been a while, Raindrop.”
It was the wonder and hope in his fucking tone that had my gut churning and my hands squeezing around our drinks.
What the hell is going on here?