“I agree.”
She paced the living room as Hunter’s phone rang. Come on. She didn’t like waking him early on a Sunday morning, but she had no choice.
“Markum.”
His voice came out calm, helping her breath. “It’s me, Kerry.” She couldn’t control the sob that bubbled up from her throat. “Someone broke into our house.”
“Shit. Are you hurt?”
“No. No. He stole the skull!”
“The what?”
“The #3 reconstruction I was working on.”
“Lock your doors. I’ll be right over. And Kerry?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes?”
“Don’t answer the phone or the door unless it’s me, okay?”
Like she would? “Okay.”
They waited for Hunter in the living room. All she could do was stare into space.
“Everything will be okay, Kerry. We’ll lock this place up real tight.”
The doors had been locked up real tight last night. That didn’t stop the thief. Frustration made her want to pound something, scream at someone, but the horror kept her too numb to act out her anger. She wasn’t worried about herself though. She was worried about Grandpa being alone when she was at work, and she worried Jane Doe #3’s family would never have closure. Yes, she could have a forensic artist do a 2-dimensional drawing of the photograph of the skull, but it wouldn’t be as good as the real thing.
After what seemed like an hour, a loud rap sounded on the door. Hunter. Kerry raced to answer his knock. She checked the peephole, saw his worried expression and opened the door. Without giving any thought to the consequences, she stepped close to him and leaned into his chest. Hunter wrapped his arms around her, bringing her great solace.
She backed away and wiped the tears that had trickled down her cheeks. “I can’t believe he stole the skull. I never should have brought it home.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. You couldn’t have known. Listen, I’ve called the crime scene unit. They should be here any minute.” He placed a warm hand on her waist and led her over to the sofa. “Sit down.”
As if he were psychic, a van pulled into their drive. He stepped over to the bay window. “It’s them.”
Hunter greeted Crandall Pickford, the same person who’d been the lead CSU person on the Jane Doe cases, and his four assistants. Hunter introduced them to her grandfather.
“Kerry, can you show us what was disturbed?” Hunter used a soft, soothing voice.
She nodded. Only then did she notice her rather see-through nightgown. “Can you wait a sec for me to put something on?” She crossed her arms, but when Hunter’s gaze dropped to her breasts, she refused to address how warm and powerful that made her feel.
“Sure.” Hunter stepped in front of her, blocking the men’s view as she raced to her room.
She threw on a pair of jeans, a sports bra and T-shirt. So as not to gather any additional evidence on the soles of her feet, she slipped on a pair of sneakers. She marched out of her room and hurried to the kitchen entrance. “He came in through there.” She pointed toward the back door.
“How do you know he came in through the back?” Hunter asked.
“The deadbolt on the front door was still locked this morning.”
The technicians went to work, photographing and dusting every conceivable surface, measuring distances as they went.
Hunter stayed with her at the kitchen entrance. He leaned in close. “Are you okay?” She looked up at him. “I mean really okay?”
“I’m so angry I could spit. Why did he have to take the evidence?”
“It tells me we’re getting near, and that one person probably perpetrated these crimes. He’s scared to death we’ll find the identities of these women and then find him.”
Grandpa stepped behind them. “I’m going to ask Frank, Chuck, and Richard to begin twenty-four hour surveillance on the house.”
“Great,” Hunter said.
Hunter placed a gentle hand on her waist, and another tingle of anticipation took her mind off her despair for a brief moment.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked. She could smell his minty mouthwash.
“Sure.”
With her grandfather transfixed watching the technicians, Hunter sidled over to the front door. “I’m sure your grandfather’s friends mean well, but if this guy was able to get into your house without your knowledge, he could probably pick off the old men one at a time.”
Another wave of fear skittered up her spine. “If you’re trying to scare me, you’ve succeeded.”
“I’m sorry, but you need to face reality. You’re obviously not safe in this house. I know you won’t like this suggestion, but I think you should move in with me.”
13
“Daddy, is she going to be our new mommy?” Melissa looked up at Hunter with adoring eyes.
Kerry smiled at the innocent question while forcing her heart not to break. Her daughter, had she lived, would have been almost two.
No, sweetheart.” Hunter knelt eye level to Melissa and ran a gentle hand down the little girl’s blond curls. “Kerry is working on a case with me. There’s a bad guy after her. I want her to be safe, so I brought her to the safest place in the world.”
“You mean here, Daddy, with us?” Melissa’s eyes widened.
“Yup.”
“Okay.” His daughter slipped from his grasp and skipped over to Kerry. “You want to see my room?”
Kerry laughed at Melissa’s acceptance of everything her father said. “Sure.”
Hunter raised his brows and smirked. “I’ll put your things in the guest room.”
Melissa grabbed Kerry’s hand. Baby powder and sweet shampoo floated upward. What she wouldn’t give to have her own little girl back.
Melissa led Kerry past the room where Hunter was stashing her suitcase and into the last room on the right.
The little girl halted at the entrance. “Isn’t it beautiful? Aunt Jen and I decorated it.”
Kerry smiled. “It sure is.”
A blue ceiling, complete with white puffy clouds, hovered above a four-poster bed with a pink and white checkered bedspread. Sitting in one corner was a large bin filled with toys, and off to the side was a bookcase that spilled over with dolls of every kind.
“Come see this.” Melissa pulled her toward the desk. A small laptop glowed. “Daddy gave this to me. I can play games on it and everything.”
Hunter’s daughter was well loved.
The object of Melissa’s adoration appeared in the doorway. “Melissa, let’s let Kerry get settled. You can play with her later. She’s already had a hard day.”
“Why did she have a hard day?”
“Why don’t you play with your dolls while Kerry and I talk about our case?”
“Okay.” Question forgotten, apparently.
“Come here.” Hunter opened his arms and Melissa ran toward him. He lifted her up, gave her a kiss, and then spun her around. “You’re such a good girl. Love you.”
“Love you back, Daddy.”
He set his daughter down and then flicked his head toward the living room.
Kerry followed. “You’ve done a wonderful job with Melissa. She’s delightful.”
“Thank Jen. I don’t know what I would have done without her, especially with my hours.” Wrinkles etched around the smooth area of his eyes.
“Ever think of quitting the force?”
His jaw twitched. “No. Too any criminals still to put away.”
Oo-kay. She wouldn’t bring up that topic again. His pinched mouth made her want to hug him, but she didn’t dare. She needed to stay objective and couldn’t chance not solving this case.
“Let me show you to your new digs. I’m afraid it isn’t fancy. The room is actually my office, and you’ll have to sleep on a pullout bed.”
She smiled. “That’s wonderful. One can’t put a price tag on peace of mind.” A jolt of apprehension jerked her to attention, and she grabbed Hunter’s arm. “Ohmigod. Whoever stole the skull doesn’t know I’ve left Grandpa’s house. He may come back and harm him.”
Hunter turned and ran his hands down her arms. “I’ve thought of that. Now that a crime has been committed, we’ll have a squad car outside your house at night. At least until our killer realizes you aren’t there.”