“The officer tells me there was blood at the scene,” Gideon said.
“I have no doubt. We had quite the tussle.”
“You have no idea who did this?” Gideon said.
“No.”
Elijah’s quick answer rang like an alarm bell in Joan’s head. If he knew more than he was saying, then why not tell Gideon who had attacked him? She knew the answer. Elijah was guarding the attacker’s identity for his own reasons.
Gideon left Elijah’s hospital room and waited in the hallway for Joan. She was refilling Elijah’s water cup and making sure the phone and channel selector were close at hand, given his limited mobility.
When she came out, they exchanged glances, and together left the hospital. In the front seat of his car, they sat in silence for a moment.
“What did Elijah say to you?” Gideon asked.
“What do you mean?”
“He said something to you right before I came in. You were pale.”
“I don’t like hospitals.”
Gideon was willing to sit here for as long as it took. “Again, what did he say?”
Joan stared out her window at the clouds hovering over the ring of distant mountains. She turned toward him. “He said you’re still in love with me.”
There were few times in his life when he wanted nothing more than to turn and run. But each and every time, he’d stood his ground, more out of stubbornness than bravery. “He’s trying to get in your head.”
Her expression struggled to remain stoic, but a mixture of relief and disappointment tugged at her features. “You might be right. I get that we’re water under the bridge,” she said carefully.
If he had learned anything about Elijah, it was that he was good at exploiting targets. What had he seen in Joan that prompted him to take aim? “Did he get under your skin?”
“I’m not sure what you’re looking for, Gideon.”
Her lack of an answer suggested an option Gideon had long given up on. Could she still be in love with him? And why did the idea frighten the hell out of him?
Gideon started the engine, turning up the heater to chase away the chill. Cracking the door to their past was a dangerous move he could not afford to make. Joan would find whatever answers she wanted and then leave. He would then get on with his life. And this time their break would be for good.
So why did his gaze drop to her fingers as they moved back and forth on her thigh? Why did he want to take her hand in his and trace the scars she tried to hide? He understood the fire had changed her. It had changed him. Different was not necessarily bad. Good came from change. Maybe they could . . .
“If you can drop me at the station, I’ll grab an Uber and get out of your hair,” she said. “I know you have work to do.”
He shifted into drive. “Where are you going?”
“Thought I might pay a visit to Dan. I have a craving for one of his burgers.”
“Stay out of Elijah’s assault investigation.”
“I’m just getting a burger. Maybe a milkshake.”
His phone dinged with a text. It was from the medical examiner. The body from the cabin was ready for autopsy. “Or you can come with me to the medical examiner’s office.”
“For the autopsy?”
“Yes. Jessica Halpern was identified by her dental records an hour ago.”
She seemed to relax, as if forensics were a welcome respite from feelings. “You’re talking my language.”
“Good.” If Gideon kept to himself, he might come out of this intact. The last few years had had productive, satisfying moments. But he had not tasted the excitement he’d enjoyed while being with Joan these last few days.
But if he was really honest with himself, he would admit that his life was lackluster because he still missed Joan.
Joan and Gideon stood in front of the medical examiner’s computer screen and watched as Dr. Christopher opened a file. The digital image of the body appeared on screen, and a familiar sense of discomfort washed over her. When would she ever shake that damn College Fire?
The heat and fire had damaged the body, melting muscle and eating into bone. The carnage was more complete than it had been with Lana. Either the killer was wrapping up loose ends, or his destructive behavior was escalating. Either way, his quickened pace was putting him at risk of exposure. Good for the cops, if they could catch him before the next homicide and arson.
“As you can see, these are dental X-rays I took of the victim’s mouth,” Dr. Christopher said. “And on the left are Jessica Halpern’s records, which I obtained from her dentist. Both sets of teeth have the same patterns of fillings on the back molars, as well as both sets have caps on the front-right incisor. This is definitely Jessica Halpern.”
“Do you have a cause of death?” Gideon asked.
“Strangulation,” the doctor said. “Her killer all but crushed the hyoid bone in her neck.”
“No smoke in the lungs?”
“None. She was not alive when the fire was set.”
“Who knows that Lana died of smoke inhalation?” Joan asked.
“I told rescue and police crews that I saw Lana move before the fire reached her,” Gideon said.
“Overkill, with some pent-up rage, or fear of another mistake?” Joan asked.
“Fear of a mistake suggests a leak,” Gideon said.
“Cops gossip,” she said. “Good luck with that.”
Gideon frowned, as if wondering how many layers removed the killer was from the first responders. “Can you estimate the time of death?”
“Within the last couple of days, but the fire damage makes it nearly impossible to be more accurate,” Dr. Christopher cautioned.
“Her husband said he spoke to her yesterday,” Joan said. “Of course, that’s assuming he didn’t kill her earlier and is lying. Gideon, did she return any of your calls?”
“No. Detective Sullivan checked her phone records, and her last text was thirty-six hours ago,” Gideon said. “Assuming she sent the text.”
“Who did she text?” Joan asked.
“A travel agent. She was
