“Has The Carnations Killer contacted you again?” Shaun asked.
“Since yesterday afternoon? Nope.”
“Okay,” Aidan said with a light sigh. “All right. You’re free to go. For now.”
“Great.” Jordan tapped the table with the palm of his hands and jumped to his feet. “Oh, before I go, agents, can I get a statement from either of you?” He held out a recorder.
Aidan narrowed his eyes and told him no statement, although he really wanted to tell him what he could do with the recorder.
Slipping the device back into his shirt pocket, Jordan turned to leave.
“Forgive my nephew,” Thomas said. “He’s got a lot of ambition, but he forgets to keep his head out of the clouds.”
“How does he get along with his colleagues?” Aidan asked.
“I haven't noticed that he's had any problems,” Thomas replied. “He doesn’t have a lot of friends. Only his cameraman, Kent Ory, and Gary Short, our field technician. I mean, you see how he is. He usually spends his time with the ladies, if you know what I mean.” Thomas winked.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Blake,” Aidan said, rising from his seat.
Thomas nodded his acknowledgment as they filed out of the conference room.
On their way out, Aidan spotted Jordan talking in the far corner with his cameraman. They looked their way, but after realizing Aidan was also watching them, the two turned to leave in the opposite direction.
“What are you thinking?” Shaun asked.
“I’m not sure,” Aidan admitted as they stepped into the warm morning. The clouds looked as though they were darkening, and Aidan guessed the forecast of rain for this weekend may come true.
“Jordan seems like a great person of interest,” Shaun said.
“He does,” Aidan agreed. “As a reporter, he could easily travel across the US murdering women. It’d help make his career.”
“Do you remember ever seeing him before?” Shaun asked as they reached the car.
Aidan climbed in the passenger’s side and buckled.
Shaun settled into the driver’s side and Aidan answered his question: “No. But it doesn’t mean he wasn’t there.”
“Well, it won’t be hard finding out,” Shaun said.
Shaun turned the key and the car rumbled to life.
Aidan stared out the window at the news building, deep in thought. There was only one way to find out.
13
He watched his next target as she helped her employee put several large picture frames on the top display. A small owl on another shelf was on the verge of falling, and he knew she wouldn’t be able to catch it before it crashed against her skull.
He hurried, and as the owl fell, he caught it, inches from her head.
Quick reflexes had her ducking out of the way. When she realized what had happened, she finished handing the employee the large frame and turned to him. He handed her the small brass object.
“Wow, thank you,” she said with a laugh. “That would’ve hurt.”
He smiled. “Right place, right time.”
“Daddy!”
His eight-year-old daughter came running toward him, holding a stuffed purple bear.
“Look what I found.”
“Wow,” he replied. “That’s really cute, pumpkin.”
“Can I have it? Can I, please?”
He smiled and regarded his target, whose name tag read Jane. “Can’t take her anywhere, can I?”
“She’s very beautiful.” Jane leaned over, her hands on her knees. “What’s your name, young lady?”
“Jamie,” she answered shyly, hugging the bear against her chest.
“That’s a very pretty name.” She righted herself and pressed her hand against his shoulder. “You know you can’t resist those puppy dog eyes.” Jane winked at Jamie.
He looked down at his daughter, who began to pout and whimper, trying her best to pull off the puppy dog eyes without smiling.
“Yeah, and I also know you’re just trying to make a sale.” He looked back at Jane, putting on a “pretending to be mad look.”
“Who, me?” She tapped an index finger on her chin as Jamie giggled. “Well, now that I think about it, I bet your daughter would love the new line of Disney princess furniture we got in the other day. I’ll even throw in a fifteen percent discount since I’m pretty certain you saved me from a concussion.”
“Disney princess furniture? Really?” Jamie’s eyes grew as she began to jump with excitement. “Can I see? Can I see?”
“I’m afraid not right now, pumpkin,” he said. “I’ve got to get back to work. But I’ll buy you the bear if you want him.”
She smiled and nodded eagerly that she did want him.
He turned back to Jane. “Well played, Miss Jane. Well played.”
“We bear lovers have to stick together, isn’t that right, young lady?”
Jamie giggled, enthusiastically nodding her head.
“All right, come on, pumpkin,” he said as he took hold of his daughter’s hand.
“I hope you’ll come again,” Jane called after him.
He turned and began walking backward. Jamie hurried to the end of a line at the register. “You can count on seeing me again. I did see something I really want, but it’s going to have to wait until next week. Can’t jump the gun on it, you know.”
He gave her a salute and waited until it was his time to pay for the bear.
After the deed was done, Jamie declined a bag, wanting to hold onto her new friend.
“Thank you so much, Daddy,” she said, her voice soft as she stared adoringly at the bear. “I really love him.”
“You’re very welcome, pumpkin. Happy early birthday.”
14
Shaun and AIDAN spent the next few hours calling around to find out whether Jordan had reported on any of the other murders. They learned he only began reporting six years
