“The woman married a convicted serial killer, Diana. In a prison wedding, no less. She might have some issues.”
“You wanted me to listen to her every word when she was saying I shouldn’t go back.”
“That’s because you shouldn’t go back.”
Diana crossed her arms over her chest and concentrated on the scenery. She was so intent on ignoring Bobby that she was surprised to realize he’d taken an unexpected turn. “Where are we going?”
“We’re making a stop at the sheriff’s department.” He gave her a dull look. “I guess you get to enjoy the stench after all. At least for a little while. Lucky you.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence, Diana careful not to say anything that would give Bobby an excuse to change his mind. If she was in the sheriff’s department offices, there was always a chance she could find a way to help, no matter how miniscule her contribution. It was better than huddling alone and helpless in a hotel room.
When they arrived, the first floor of the building was strangely vacant, and the hum of fans echoed down the halls. Coffee pot dry, Diana set her sights on making a fresh pot while Bobby located Val and filled her in. After her visit with Dryden, followed by Nikki’s warped view of the world, Diana felt so jangled she actually needed the caffeine to calm her nerves.
When the coffee finished brewing, she poured two cups and ventured farther into the office area. Bobby hadn’t been kidding about the smell. Breathing shallowly through her mouth, Diana wound through misplaced desks and ripped-out carpet, finally locating Bobby and Val huddled around a computer.
Diana set one of the cups in front of Val. Diana didn’t know the woman well on a personal level, but everyone was familiar with her history as police chief in nearby Lake Loyal. She’d had to retire due to health issues, as evidenced by the cane leaning against her desk. But when the first copycat victim had been found, the sheriff had convinced Val to work as a consultant for the county, a position that had been created specifically for her.
“Thanks,” Val said, grabbing the cup and downing half. “Take a seat.”
Diana tried to sneak a peek at Val’s computer screen, but the late afternoon sun slanting through the windows made it impossible. “Can I do something to help?”
“Making coffee will suffice.” Bobby held out his hand for the second cup.
Diana raised it to her lips and took a sip. Let him get his own damn coffee.
Val gave Diana a little smile, then got back to work. “So far I haven’t been able to get a hold of Dryden’s new lawyer. Doctors golf on Sundays, right? What do lawyers do?”
“Who is she? This lawyer?” Diana asked.
Bobby shot her an annoyed look.
“Name’s Meredith Unger,” Val said. “Did some criminal work just out of college but has stuck to the corporate arena since.”
Diana frowned. “So she doesn’t have much experience in criminal law?”
“Apparently not.”
“Then what is the ‘extra’ that Dryden referred to?”
Val shrugged. “She’s attractive, in a she-wolf sort of way. Could be that.”
Possible, Diana supposed. But that wasn’t what she’d thought of when Dryden had mentioned his lawyer in the prison interview room. “She could be the one conveying messages between him and the copycat.”
“Could be. I’m sure Dryden is manipulating her somehow,” Val said. “The rest, we don’t know. Not yet anyway.”
“Why would she take Ed Dryden on as a client in the first place?”
Bobby grunted. “The reason all of them take someone like Dryden on. They like to see their names in the paper.”
“And some women think danger is sexy,” Val added.
Diana knew that was true, yet she would never understand it. All she’d ever wanted in a man was someone she could depend on. Of course, becoming too dependent turned out to be dangerous, too.
She yanked her thoughts from that painful path and again tried to get a look at Val’s computer screen. “What are you searching for?”
“Women who went missing this weekend. But of those reported, none are early twenties and blond.”
When Diana had discovered Ed Dryden was her biological father, she’d read everything she could find on serial killers. She’d learned far more than she’d wanted. “You’re thinking the victim’s hair color and age are part of his signature. That this new victim—”
“If there’s a new victim,” Bobby interjected.
Diana shot him a pointed look then returned her focus to Val. “—will look like the women he killed last fall.”
Usually when a serial killer killed women who looked alike, like the copycat had so far, it indicated the woman’s look was a part of his reason for committing the crime, his signature.
Val nodded. “With only the two victims last fall, it’s hard to be sure. But it seems possible. At least it’s a place to start.”
“I guess my question is, whose signature are we talking about? Is the copycat mimicking Dryden’s taste in victims, or does he have his own preferences?”
Val tilted her head. “That’s a good question.”
Diana glanced at Bobby to gauge his reaction.
“I need coffee.” He turned and headed for the door.
Diana’s cheeks heated. As much as his dismissal stung, it was nothing compared to the realization that, even after all these months, looking to Bobby for approval was as automatic as breathing.
He stopped in the doorway. “What do you want, Perreth? Come to enjoy the smell or add to it?”
Diana tensed. She’d seen Perreth only a few times since he’d found her naked in the forest after Sylvie had helped her escape from her kidnapper. Each time Perreth had behaved professionally, except for a knowing grin that made her feel as if she needed to take a shower.
“Hi, Val. And it’s always nice to see you, Miz Gale.” Peering past Bobby, Perreth gave her one of those grins, his jowly face taking on the look of a panting bulldog.
Diana kept her eyes on Val’s monitor.
“I hear we might have another victim,” Perreth continued. “I’m not working in this stink, though. I’ll secure some extra office space in my neck of the woods.”
“It’s only fair to warn you,” Val said. “I’ve been steeping in sewer smell like a tea bag for the past few hours. Chances are it’ll take a day or two for me to air out.”
“It might also be good if we coordinate what we’re going to tell the press.” Perreth shot Diana a look she wasn’t sure how to read. “We need to frame this right.”
“We’re not going to tell the press anything,” Bobby said.
“And you don’t think word about this little trip to hobnob with Ed Dryden will get out?”
“I think if it does, I’ll know who leaked it.”
“What are you trying to say, Vaughan?”
Val rolled her eyes. “Weren’t you going to get coffee, Bobby?”
“I could do for some coffee,” Perreth said.
Bobby gave Val a pained look then continued down the hall, Perreth on his heels.
Diana let out a breath of relief. She hardly even knew Perreth. The way he kept looking at her shouldn’t bother her. But of course, it did anyway.
“You okay?”
Diana hadn’t realized Val was watching her. “Of course. Why?”
“While Bobby is busy, why don’t we put you to work?” Val picked up a small stack of paper off the printer and plunked it in front of Diana. “These women went missing this weekend.”
Diana paged through three missing person reports. “Three women? In one weekend?”