He hit her hard against her temple.
She cried softly in pain, but settled down, the fight leaving her.
He climbed off her. She used the opportunity to attempt to roll off the other side of the bed, but he grabbed her hair and jerked her back.
She tried to scream when the prongs of the taser connected to her neck, but it was a fruitless effort. He paused to watch her convulse, then he zapped her again for good measure.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun,” he assured her. Then he scoffed. “Well, I am, anyway.”
Making sure it was secured, he tied her hands and feet together.
He made a beeline toward the window to look across the street at the men keeping watch of the house. Before he made the call to take them away, he had to prepare to leave.
He carried his target half-conscious down the steps, found her keys on the kitchen island and opened the door to the garage.
He popped the trunk, set her inside, closed it, and returned to the bedroom to finish what he’d planned. Once the task was over, he tossed everything he came with into the backseat. He searched the house to double check that he didn’t leave anything behind.
Now that it was time, he gazed across the street at the unmarked police car and dialed the number.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
“Help, please help,” he said, in a quiet, childlike voice. “My daddy’s hurting Mommy. I think he’s going to kill her.”
“What’s your name son?” The voice on the other end sounded bored, rather than concerned.
“Jay. Please. I think he has a gun. I’m scared.”
“What’s the address?”
He gave her an address far enough down the road for the officers to leave their station, but close enough for them to have no choice but to be the first responders.
And he’d be able to keep an eye on them in case they returned quicker than he left.
“We’ll dispatch someone right away. Remain on the line please.”
He stayed on the line as he waited for the car to leave their position. Once they did, he ended the call, hurried down the stairs and into the garage.
He opened it, climbed in the car and cranked it.
He pulled out of the garage and closed it again as he headed in the opposite direction of the neighborhood, tossing the cell phone in the passenger seat.
63
When Aidan knocked on the door, the reporter opened it.
His eyes were bloodshot, his face wet.
Aidan could tell immediately the dog meant a lot to him.
“This is your fault,” Jordan accused, pointing an angry finger toward him. “If you and Henderson didn’t coerce me into trying to trap the guy, Duke would still be alive.”
“I realize you’re upset, Jordan,” Aidan said as compassionately as he could, “but no one’s at fault here. Let’s focus on finding who is.”
Aidan tried to pat his shoulder in a friendly way, but Jordan shrugged him off and headed through the house, leading the way to the backyard.
“He’s out here.”
He tried his best to remain strong, but his voice failed him.
Aidan decided to not make matters worse by playing nice. He was here for one reason, and that wasn’t to make friends with the guy who had become his arch nemesis.
Aidan opened the back door as a knock came from the front.
“That’d be either Agent Henderson or the CSU,” he said.
Without responding, the reporter turned to open the door.
Aidan stepped outside and made his way to the dog.
Taking the dried blood from Duke’s fur out of account, Aidan would have thought he was sleeping.
A bouquet of white carnations rested next to the body.
No matter what he thought about Jordan, Aidan hated that his dog fell victim to the sadistic killer.
He knelt next to Duke and laid his hand on the still head.
“I'm sorry,” he said, his voice hoarse.
Shaun approached with a curse.
“This guy doesn’t have any morals.”
“No,” Aidan agreed as he pushed to his feet. “He doesn’t.”
Aidan noticed a member of the crime scene unit team had also arrived. He recalled her name to be Fallon, but couldn't remember her last name. He told her to keep her eyes peeled for evidence.
“And we don't have much time,” Shaun added. “Forecast says the rain is imminent.”
Fallon nodded, her eyes glued to the dog. She set her kit by her feet and prepared her camera.
Using the beam of his flashlight as a guide, Aidan surveyed the surrounding area while Shaun went in a different direction.
A raindrop struck Aidan’s nose. He turned to Shaun but there wasn't a need to tell him what he was thinking. Shaun looked at the sky as if to gauge how much time they had left.
Aidan continued to comb through the tall grass, wishing Jordan took care of his yard better. He felt it would make it easier to find evidence.
Then again, maybe not.
Aidan knelt where a section of the grass was flat beside the dog house. It had sunken into a soft spot on the ground and left a shoe print. There were also droplets of blood around the area. Shining his flashlight on the print, he studied it.
Glancing up, he saw Shaun and Fallon covering Duke with a sheet. Aidan called out for them, and when they appeared at his side, he gestured with his head.
“Look. I think he stood here, waiting. He likely made the phone call right here to watch Jordan’s reaction.”
Shaun looked toward the house as another drop of rain fell. “Yeah. I think he had the perfect vantage point. He could see Jordan, but Jordan couldn't see him.”
Fallon knelt to snap a photo of the blood and shoe
