„ ‘Fraid so.“ The pile landed on her desk with a thump, leaving Lois’s hands free to plunk down on her generous hips. „Did you sleep last night?“
No, not a wink. „A little.“ She unscrewed the cap from the thermos Owen had filled that morning and refilled her cup. „But I have enough coffee to keep me going.“
„Any new letters?“
She shook her head, thinking of the footprints Reagan had found in the snow next to her windows. „No, but it will happen. It’s only a matter of time.“
Fellow prosecutor Greg Wilson poked his head in the door. „Did you ask her, Lois?“
Lois turned around with a frown. „I was getting to it.“
Greg ambled into the room. He’d just celebrated his fortieth birthday, but retained boyish good looks that made all the women in the office by turns sigh in admiration and grumble in envy. „We’re all worried about you, Kristen.“
Kristen felt a prick of annoyance. „I can take care of myself, Greg.“
He waved his hand as if she hadn’t spoken. „Come stay with us. We have an extra room since my mother-in-law ran off with that man from her bingo parlor.“
Kristen’s mouth dropped open. „What?“
„Yeah, my mother-in-law met this guy and! – “
Kristen shook her head, as much to clear her brain as to shut him up. „No, you want me to come stay with you?“
„We all know you live by yourself,“ Lois rushed to explain. „We drew straws to see who would ask you.“
Kristen raised a brow. „And you lost, Greg?“
„No, I won. We want you to come stay with us. Until all this blows over.“
Touched, she found a smile. „I don’t think your wife will approve.“
„It was my wife’s idea.“
Kristen’s eyes widened. „You told her about the letters?“
Greg frowned. „Of course not. I told her your house was being renovated and you needed a place to stay.“ He grew a little sheepish. „Then she saw Richardson ’s spot last night and confronted me about it over breakfast this morning. But I still didn’t say anything. What do you say?“
Kristen looked up at the two of them, their faces so earnest and concerned and her heart clenched, just a little. It had been a long time since someone went out of their way to take care of her. No, it hasn’t. Reagan did last night. „I say it’s a wonderful gesture.“
Greg scowled. „But?“
„But I won’t be driven from my own home. Besides, Lieutenant Spinnelli is having a surveillance camera installed today.“
Greg looked resigned. „I think you’re making a mistake.“
She smiled at the two of them. „Thanks. I mean it.“
Lois leaned over the desk to give her a quick hug and Kristen stiffened. It had been a long time since she’d been cared for, still longer since she’d been embraced in any way. Lois immediately pulled back, her cheeks reddening slightly, but she made no apology for her unexpected gesture. „You’ll tell us if we can help you, Kristen.“
„I will. I promise.“ With an effort Kristen lightened her voice to soften the dismissal. „Now, I’ve got less than an hour to review all these new files before I have to be in court.“
Lois exited, shaking her head. Greg stopped at the door for a last comment, his normally pleasant face grim. „Kris, we’re seriously worried. Don’t underestimate this guy.“
She met his eyes. „I won’t.“
Then she sank back down into her chair, staring at the new files she’d add to her caseload. After a minute she shook herself and lifted the first folder from the stack. And sighed. Another rape case.
Some days were better than others. This wouldn’t be one of those days.
Friday, February 20,
11:00 a.m.
„Thanks for waiting for me.“
Abe looked over at Kristen in the passenger seat. Those had been the first words she’d uttered since climbing up into his SUV, her coat unbuttoned, her cheeks flushed from a combination of cold and exertion. She’d run down the courthouse stairs so fast he’d been shocked she hadn’t tripped on her high heels. For the first twenty minutes of the drive she glanced nervously behind them until he assured her that although Zoe Richardson had been following, they’d lost her a few miles back.
Now she sat unmoving, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery of the quiet little neighborhood in the suburbs that was home to the first of Ross King’s young victims.
„It’s all right,“ he said. „I used the time to make some calls.“
Another thirty seconds passed, then she murmured, „Anything new?“
„Jack found traces of dried milk on the inside of one of the crates. Two percent.“
She didn’t move a muscle, her eyes still glued to the window. „Wouldn’t you expect to find milk in milk crates?“
„Not unless they’d recently been used for a milk delivery.“
„So he has access to a person or business that gets milk in crates?“
„Versus using them to hold up his stereo equipment. Yeah.“
„He could have picked them up from anywhere.“
Abe shrugged, a little unnerved by her lack of animation. Something had happened that morning, and he had no illusions she’d trust him enough to be forthright with the information. „Maybe. It’s one more piece of the puzzle though. Jack also found ground marble on all the crates, but that was no surprise since the killer lined the crates with marble tiles.“
He pulled the SUV to the curb in front of their first stop.
„Are you going to tell me what happened?“ he asked sharply and she stiffened. „Another letter?“
Her head whipped around, her green eyes wild and turbulent. „No. I would have told you that. I’m not stupid, Detective.“
He wanted to touch her, to soothe her, but of course he did not „Then what?“
Her eyes quieted. „I got a new sexual assault case today. The victim and her father were waiting for me outside my office when I got back from motion hour.“
So that explained her terse tone when she’d called his cell phone to ask for another half hour. He said nothing, just waited for her to continue. After a few seconds and a weary slump of her shoulders, she did.
„She broke down in my office, terrified to testify. Her father all but threatened her if she didn’t. Said he wouldn’t rest until the scum was behind bars.“
„She won’t make a very compelling witness if the jury thinks she’s being coerced.“
She looked back at the house beyond the curb. „No, no she won’t, even though I think she’s telling the truth. Plus, the physical evidence isn’t very strong. I have to decide if we have enough to charge the man she’s accused.“
„And if you do, you’ll have to put her on the stand.“ He followed her gaze to the little house. „Like the boys in the King case.“
She sighed, deep and long. „And the Ramey case and all the other cases. Every time a victim of sexual assault goes on the stand, they live it all over again.“
„Maybe that’s how they heal. Learn to forget. Go on with their lives.“
She turned again, met his stare, her eyes now filled with sorrow and a vulnerable regret that made his heart clench. „They never forget,“ she said quietly. „They might heal and they might go on with their lives, but they never, ever forget.“ She opened the door and hopped down. „Let’s get this over with,“ she said without looking back at him.
Stunned, he simply sat watching her back as she faced the house, then made himself move to where she stood on the sidewalk. „Kristen – “
She shook her head, a hard, resolute movement that made him leave it alone. He wasn’t sure what he’d been going to say anyway.
She gestured at the driveway. „The Restons have company,“ she said.
It was true. Cars lined the driveway and the other side of the street.
„Mr. Reston was their spokesman. They stood together then,“ she explained and started up the front walk. „All the parents. I guess that hasn’t changed.“