“Can I bring anything?” he said.
“No, I’ll have everything. If you want wine, you can bring that. Since I’ll be going out to The Factory later, I think I’ll pass on alcohol with dinner.”
“So you set it up with Jamie?”
“She can’t make it. She’s already committed to going out with her parents for their anniversary. One of the female patrol officers is going with me.”
Jen had cornered Jamie first thing that morning and had been disappointed to learn she was unable to accompany her to The Factory. The two of them had done stakeouts and undercover work before and worked well together. Jamie had suggested that she call Trish Peters. Trish was a recently divorced patrol officer who had just bought a new car and needed every bit of overtime she could finagle. It was her day off, and she readily agreed to Jen’s plans.
“What time are you going?”
Jen could see that he still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of her trolling for a serial killer, but she appreciated that he was resisting the impulse to say anything.
“I told her I’d pick her up in the employees’ lot about a quarter till nine. That should give us plenty of time to relax and enjoy dinner.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Will’s voice was as warm as his eyes. “And I’m looking forward to meeting Brandon.”
“It’s mutual. I apologize in advance if he bothers you with too many questions. I think he’s been watching too many FBI shows on television.”
Will laughed.
“Kids do tend to think we’re all pretty wonderful,” he said. “I don’t mind if Brandon thinks that about me. I just hope his mother will come to agree with him.”
They were in Lonnie’s office, alone for the moment, and Jen was suddenly aware of the smallness of the room and the nearness of the man. His pull was almost magnetic, and she had to force herself not to move toward him. Her breath quickened, and she ran her tongue over her suddenly dry lips.
The gesture nearly drove Will mad. He felt himself hardening in response, and he struggled to control himself. They were standing in Lonnie’s office after all. He had no doubt that Jen’s observant sergeant would be the first to notice if his suit pants were pulling a little too tightly across his crotch.
Then he saw Jen’s eyes drop involuntarily before she looked away, blushing. Well, maybe Lonnie wouldn’t be the first to notice after all. He picked up a stack of reports and settled himself in a chair, laying the reports across his lap. They would have to remain there until the evidence of how she affected him had disappeared.
He was amazed at himself. He reacted like a pubescent kid to this woman, his emotions and desires exposed for all to see. What’s more, there didn’t seem to be anything he could do about it. He had never felt this way before. He would do whatever it took to have this woman in his bed. But once he had, he wondered if he’d be able to ever let her out again.
The door to the office opened. Lonnie and Al came in, and Will pulled his thoughts away from Jen Dillon and back to the case.
The morning passed quickly and unproductively. They went over statements from the victims’ neighbors, relatives, and friends, but nothing new stood out in light of the most recent killing. The only common ground seemed to be BodyFit, but since it was the newest and hottest club in town, they couldn’t be sure there was any significance in all three victims having gone there.
The Factory was still a possible link. A couple of Carla Edwards’s female friends thought she might have stopped in there once or twice with dates, but they had been unable to find any men who recalled taking her there. Careful and roundabout questioning of Judy Sams’s friends and family made it clear that none of them had known about Judy’s secret walks on the wild side.
Lab reports were in on the contents of the drain traps at the Edwards and Kaufmann crime scenes. Hairs matching the ones found in the bedrooms had been located in the drains. The killer had showered after doing Carla Edwards, just as he had after killing Vicki. The information didn’t put them any closer to locating the monster, but it was interesting.
Just before noon, Will and Don excused themselves. The Cincinnati office had called to tell them they had located Arthur Kelty’s last known address, and agents had talked to people who knew him. Since Don also had to check on his other cases, they had decided to pick up the transcripts rather than have the documents faxed.
Jen and Al headed out for lunch together. Al drove to The Waterwheel, just outside of town, and they found a quiet table in the corner. It wasn’t one of their usual lunch spots, and she suspected he’d chosen it knowing it was unlikely they’d be interrupted. He’d been unusually quiet on the way there. Something was bothering her partner, and Jen had a pretty good idea she was going to find out what it was. But instead of speaking whatever was on his mind, he ordered and ate without anything more than normal conversation.
She watched him as he ate. He was not a particularly handsome man, but he looked strong and steady. His face was deeply lined, and his hair was steel gray and still thick. He didn’t work out or run, but he kept strong and fit through physical labor during his off hours. He cut firewood and sold it for extra money, and he raised a garden during the summer in addition to hunting and fishing.
His wife, Sally, was a few years younger than Al. She was a rosy-faced and slightly chubby woman whom Jen had grown to love very much. In fact, Jen felt closer to her than she did to her own mother. Al,
