“Sarcasm. Good defense.” Rebecca smiled to soften her words. “You cover anything serious with humor to protect yourself. Do you ever allow yourself to be serious about anything but boxing?”
Jordan shrugged. “I try not to. Listen, it was hard enough growing up that way. I hate thinking about it, much less talking about it. This job, boxing, whatever else I choose to do, makes me forget the pain. My dad left, I pretty much raised myself, big deal. You can talk to a hundred people and more than half of them will have the same story. There’s no point in rehashing that shit all the time.”
“Maybe not. But it did make you who you are today, and I’ll allow myself this small indulgence. To say that at least the little I know about you, it made you into a woman I admire and respect.”
“And maybe you are attracted to…a little bit?” Jordan’s eyes sparkled.
Rebecca shook her head. “Do you ever give up?”
“No.” Jordan stopped and turned Rebecca towards her, paralyzing her with her gaze. “And something tells me you don’t want me to give up.”
Rebecca’s response froze in her throat as she realized she wanted just that. Someone who matched her drive with the same intensity she had. She knew in that moment, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that whatever Jordan set her mind to, she would get.
Chapter 13
Jordan watched Rebecca walk to her car and drive off. She shook her head. Much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was quickly starting to like this woman, and from past experience, that only meant trouble.
She didn’t want a relationship. She had learned the hard way, people didn’t stick around long, and she wasn’t in the mood to put herself out there, just to get left. No, her mom had done that, and she wasn’t a believer in repeating someone else’s mistakes. It was a shame, though. Detective Foxx was someone she knew she would enjoy having sex with. What a waste!
When she walked back into the office, Matt pulled her aside quickly. “I got something I think you’re going to want to see.”
She followed him down to the lab. The display on the dual monitors was a pair of graphs that, at first glance, looked very similar. “Is this what I think it is?”
His eyes sparkled. “Yeah. And you’re not going to believe who it matches.”
“One guess.” Jordan smirked. “And I’ll get to tell Rebecca I was right.”
Matt’s smile vanished. “Rebecca? Sounds like a lot has happened with you working point on this.”
Jordan smiled sheepishly. “Chill, Matty. It’s nothing like what you’re thinking. We simply learned how to get along.” She turned away to hide the blush. If anything, things were starting to get interesting, and Matt didn’t need to hear that the object of his crush didn’t swing his way, or at least Jordan didn’t believe she did. “So, tell me I’m right.”
Matt watched her warily. He didn’t know what to make of her explanation for being on a first-name basis, but he had known Jordan long enough to know that she had a way with women. “You’re right…sort of.”
Jordan quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean sort of?”
“I had NDIS run a search of the Forensic Index against the Convicted Offender Index. I got a couple of hits on cold cases from 2007. Two unsolved rape cases. Same MO, and like Julie, the UNSUB was interrupted before he could kill them. Detectives couldn’t put a face to the perp, so they shelved the cases.”
“So, how does that make me right?” Jordan sounded exasperated, but in truth, she was intrigued. A tie to several unsolved cases might make this series of murders easier to solve.
“I’m getting to that.” He pointed at the screen, and Jordan’s eyes followed his finger to the DNA markers on the screen. “This is the UNSUB’s DNA on the left. On the right is Richard Hudson’s DNA from the NDIS. Both match the DNA sample left at the scene. They would never have gotten a hit on Richard Hudson. We only did because you asked me to check against the Convicted Offender Index.”
“Son of a bitch.” Jordan shook her head in disbelief. “That fucking bastard killed his own wife.”
“CDD never would have made the connection. His DNA isn’t in CODIS.”
“Shit.” Jordan slapped her leg. “She fell for his whole distraught husband routine and let him walk right out the fucking door. He’s probably halfway to China by now.”
A cryptic smile spread across his face. “If he’s running, it’s in a car.”
Jordan regarded him quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say when this popped up, I took the liberty of putting him on the no-fly list."
“Genius.” Jordan slapped him on the back. “This is why you are the brains of the operation.”
“And the looks, don’t forget.” Matt’s smile grew broader. He tapped her phone. “Guess you better call your friend Rebecca and tell her the good news.”
Jordan shot him a parting smile and winked. “Remind me, I owe you a steak.”
“Just go. Get that bastard.” Matt watched her back disappear down the hallway. He hadn’t let on that he saw the blush or believed that there was anything between Jordan and Rebecca, but Matt was no fool. It only took one look in her face to know that Jordan was emotionally invested in the Detective, even if they hadn’t slept together.
He should have been mad, but instead he felt worry in the pit of his stomach. If he read the look correctly, Jordan was interested in more than just sex, and she had no idea the rough road ahead. And that he didn’t begrudge her that at all.
Jordan was halfway to Grand Central before she dialed Rebecca’s number. She held her breath waiting for the voice she knew would make her stomach flutter. When Rebecca picked up, she wasn’t disappointed. She smiled in spite of herself. “Hey, stranger.”
Rebecca could hear the smile in her voice. “Hi, yourself.”
“You ready for some interesting news?” Jordan asked cryptically.
“If by interesting, you mean good then yes, I do want some interesting news.”
“I just left the lab. Matt ran the sample you gave us from Julie’s attacker against the Forensic Index and the Convicted Offender Index in NDIS. He got a hit, well, two, actually.”
Rebecca processed the information. “It’s starting to get interesting. Continue.”
“Two unsolved rapes from 2007. Same MO, and like Julie, the women got away before they were murdered. This is where it gets interesting. The DNA from those unsolved cases matches Richard Hudson.”
Rebecca let out a loud sigh. It looked as though they had finally gotten a break in the case and were one step closer to catching what the press had dubbed The Cradle Killer. “Is this where I’m supposed to jump in and say you were right?”
“Normally, yes.” Jordan said seriously. “But I think you and I both know, that more important than you admitting I’m right, is bringing this guy to justice.”
“I’d say it’s time to pay Richard Hudson another visit.” Rebecca rubbed the bridge of her nose. A headache was starting just behind her eyes, and she could feel the blood pulsating behind her right eye. She grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen off her desk and fought with the cap. “Shit.”
“Problem, Detective?”
“Nothing painkillers won’t get rid of…if I can ever get this damn childproof cap off.” She pushed up with her thumb, almost calling it quits when, at the last minute, it popped off and rolled to the floor. “Are you on your way?”
“Here.”
Rebecca looked up startled. She put her phone down and stared at Jordan. “Don’t you know it’s a bad idea to scare a cop?”
Jordan eyed the full holster on her desk and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Traffic wasn’t that bad for this late.”
Rebecca tossed the pills into her mouth and chased them down with a swig of day old, cold coffee. “Ugh.”
“You ready?”
“Yeah. Let me call it in. I am not meeting that guy without backup.”