Three Times a Lady

Chapter 39

Bill Krugman narrowed his dark brown eyes. His disbelieving voice rumbled out of his throat like a freight train barreling off the rails.

‘Dinah Leach didn’t die from the sexual mutilation, Agent Whitestone,’ he snapped. ‘She was still alive, still breathing when they finally unzipped the goddamn body bag. That’s a miracle in and of itself, a testament to how hard she fought to live. She couldn’t talk, but she tried. Right up until her very last breath. You could learn a thing or two from her.’

Dana stared back at her former boss. ‘Excuse me?’

Krugman didn’t blink. His own stare felt hot enough to burn right through six inches of solid steel. ‘I said you could learn a thing or two from Dinah Leach, Dana. Did I stutter?’

Krugman closed his eyes and shook his head. Then he opened them up again and softened his voice. ‘Listen, Dana, I can’t imagine how terrible it must have been for you when those men violated you. I understand why you left work, I really do. But you represent the wall of protection that stands between the animals and the rest of society. There aren’t too many of us left and we can’t afford to lose a single brick in that wall. More than that, you’re a goddamn cornerstone. People depend on you. Hell, I depend on you. Think it over, at least.’

Dana pursed her lips. ‘I really don’t see what good that would do, sir. My mind’s made up.’

Krugman rose from his seat and shook his head again. ‘Just think it over,’ he said, heading for the door. ‘Do it for me. Do it for Crawford. Do it for that little boy you want to adopt. Hell, do it for yourself. Everyone needs you, Dana. Don’t you ever forget that. And no matter what you might think right now, running away isn’t going to make your problems disappear.’

Krugman paused when he reached the door and turned around. ‘Anyway, I’m putting a 24/7 watch on you. You’re a target of this whack-job now and we need to keep you safe.’

Dana shook her head. She didn’t need a baby-sitter. Didn’t want a baby-sitter. She was a grown woman, for Christ’s sake. She could take care of herself. And even if she couldn’t take care of herself, that was nobody else’s business but her own. ‘No, thank you, sir,’ she said firmly. ‘That won’t be necessary.’

Krugman opened up the door. ‘Wasn’t a request, Agent Whitestone. You’ll have two agents here within the next twenty-four hours. They’ll be shadowing every step you take until we can catch this lunatic, so you might as well just get used to the idea.’

And with that, Bill Krugman stomped out of Dana’s vacation house and disappeared down the stairs. Dana went to the window and watched him go. When he’d hopped into his rental car and had driven out of sight, she gritted her teeth, reaching into her pocket and extracting a small gold hoop earring before squeezing it hard in her fist. This wasn’t what she’d wanted. Not even close.

She’d wanted the woman dressed in black for herself.