His second choice didn’t live far from the first, which would simplify matters if the first didn’t work out. This was proof of the truth of Father’s lesson about always being prepared. Father had taught him to think ahead, to collect all the information he could on his prey, and to always have more than one kill planned ahead. Like a good hunter who set up trail cams in the woods and observed the routines of deer or turkey, he had followed his prey and learned their routines. He’d taken pictures with his cell without the prey being aware she was being stalked, and in his mind, he made a list. He preferred following that list most of the time, taking them in order, but life wasn’t always orderly. He smiled at himself in the dresser mirror and smoothed a stray hair. It promised to be an interesting night.
CHAPTER 39
“I hear you’ve been working real close with a certain fed,” Hank said, mock sternness in his voice. They were in her unmarked car on their way to their target’s house.
“Word travels fast, doesn’t it?”
She glanced over at Hank as she slowed for a light. He smiled.
“It sure does. As long as you’re happy, sugar, that’s what counts.”
“Well…so far, so good.”
Hank nodded, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. He fiddled with the radio as she drove to Terri Randall’s house. She was one of the four women whose divorce notices had been published in the same edition as those of the victims.
Randall lived in a small white frame house across from a neighborhood park complete with tennis and basketball courts. The park was filled with people using the courts or watching the games. Jen pulled the unmarked into an open space in the parking lot, and the two of them settled back, ostensibly just another couple watching the players.
“Think we’ll have any luck tonight?” Hank said, stretching his long legs.
“I hope so. We both know that speech about covering these women indefinitely is a load of crap.”
Hank grunted his agreement. He pressed a button on the passenger door to lower his window and lit a cigarette.
“Don’t you know those things are bad for your health?” Jen waved at the smoke.
“What isn’t?” He inhaled deeply before blowing smoke rings out the window. “This could get boring if nothing goes down.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“I got nothing against your company, babe, I never have liked stakeouts. Now, if Randall goes honky-tonking, that might make a difference. Maybe you and me could burn up a few dance floors. All in the line of duty, of course.”
“Why, Hank! I never would have guessed you for a dancer!”
“I may not look like John Travolta, but I promise you, I can out-dance the boy.”
Jen laughed, trying to picture Hank in the lead role in Saturday Night Fever. She couldn’t quite make the mental leap required and hoped Randall did go out dancing. It would be interesting to see if Hank could make good on his boasts.
From their vantage point, they had a clear view of the front of the house. A Bureau of Motor Vehicles check had revealed that Randall owned a blue Focus. The car was parked in the drive. They would be able to see if she left the house in her car or if someone picked her up.
They didn’t have long to wait. At seven, the front door opened. A petite and curvaceous girl with short, curly, black hair and a bounce in her walk came out and headed for the Focus. She was dressed in a red, short-sleeved dress that ended several inches above her knees. Based on the girl’s attire, Jen guessed Hank was going to get his wish about going dancing.
The surveillance teams were using Channel 3 for radio communications, and now Jen advised the others that Randall was on the move. She was the first to have left home for the evening. Jen hung back for a bit, and they watched for any sign that someone else was tailing the Focus. Everything looked okay. She eased into traffic a half block behind the car, keeping it in sight, but giving anyone who might want it a chance.
Their target’s destination turned out to be Jilly’s at the Holiday Inn. Jilly’s drew a slightly older crowd than The Factory and had a more intimate atmosphere. Jen had been there a few times with friends, and the small dance floor had always been elbow-to-elbow with couples dancing to the tunes spun by the DJ.
They waited until Randall left her car and entered the club before making any move to follow. They appeared to be her only tail. Just as Jen started to shut off the car, Vic Hensley’s voice came over the radio, advising them that Sue Carpenter, the girl he and one of the deputies were watching, had just left her house alone and dressed for an evening out.
It was Saturday night, and the women were on the move. The question was whether or not the killer was on the move, too.
***
He had been lucky again. He’d spotted her two blocks from her home, just as he’d turned onto her street. It had been so close, it had almost taken his breath away. He turned into an alley and backed out, following her at a safe distance.
She’d been alone in the car. Of that, he was certain. Whoever Jack was, he hadn’t picked her up at her house. Maybe there had been no date after all, or maybe Jack had stood her up. He hoped that was the case. He hoped that Jack had finally seen her for the slut that she was and decided to leave her alone, all alone, for him. He would be her “date” tonight. Her last date.
As
