“Because Sharp called me last night and told me that you also knew this victim. He’s worried about you.”
She rubbed the back of her neck. “He’s assigned a cop to me twenty-four/seven.”
“Why?”
“He thinks there’s a pattern to these deaths, and I might be next.”
Dr. Kincaid’s gaze darkened. “Sharp doesn’t scare easily. I agree with his caution.”
Tessa smiled, hoping it hid her worry. Last night she’d barely slept. If she wasn’t trying to draw connections between the two murdered women and herself, she was thinking about Dakota.
All this time she’d thought he’d been using the past to avoid the future, but God, it looked like he had been right to worry. On an instinctual level he’d known Kara had been murdered.
When she stepped into her office, Dakota was standing there, staring at a picture taken of her and a group of forensic doctors identifying bones in the jungle.
“You look happy in this picture,” he said without turning. “You didn’t smile much like that toward the end of us.”
“I was happy at that moment. We found the soldier we’d been searching for. But I wasn’t really happy, mostly because I knew you weren’t happy and I didn’t know how to fix it.”
“It’s selfish of me to withdraw,” he said as he replaced the picture.
Tessa didn’t speak as he turned and crossed to her.
“I was angry and frustrated, and the better it got between us the worse I felt. It was as if I didn’t have the right to be happy because my sister was dead.”
This was the first time she’d ever had a sense of what he felt. “If it had been reversed and you’d died, would you have wanted Kara to suffer alone?”
“No. Of course not.”
“I can promise you, she’d not have wanted this for you. She adored you.”
“I can’t make any promises about our future until I catch this killer. I understand myself well enough to know I won’t be much better of a person than I was a year ago.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
God, but she loved this man. She’d told him often enough when they’d first married, but he’d seemed to brush her words aside. Leaving for Southeast Asia had been a last-ditch effort to get him to react, and when he hadn’t, she left. Now Tessa was back, trying to hold them together.
“God hates quitters, Agent Sharp.”
That prompted a half smile.
She took his hands in hers, half expecting him to pull away, but he did not. “You’ve taken a lot of bad people off the streets. You’ve given so many families closure.”
“What’s the saying? The cobbler’s wife has no shoes. He can do for others, but he can’t do for himself or his family.”
“You’re getting closer to this killer, Dakota. You’ll catch him.”
“It’s not coming together fast enough. Especially if you’re next on his list.”
“What about the boy who delivered the drugs? You’re nearly certain the drugs came from Dr. Bailey’s office.” The clean scent of soap mingled with his scent, and for the first time in a while, no traces of cigarette smoke.
“The office manager is still not talking, but I’m going to press her hard today. She’s coming back to the station with her attorney.”
“You can be a pretty scary guy.”
He traced his thumb over the back of her hand. His touch was so soft and gentle, it would be easy to convince herself he’d not touched her. “I don’t want you to ever be scared of me.”
She smiled. “I’m not.”
“Good.”
She squeezed his hand. “What about Veronica Hayes?”
“Veronica is working with the sketch artist, and we’re expecting an image soon.”
“Let’s hope she remembers enough for a good sketch.”
“Yeah.”
Her office phone rang and she glanced at the display, annoyed. She pressed the speakerphone. “Dr. McGowan.”
“Carol Knox is returning your call. Line two.”
She glanced up at Dakota. “Thanks, Sarah.” She ended that call and explained to him, “Carol Knox is the chief’s daughter. His ex-wife died six years ago.”
His demeanor chilled in a blink. “I’d like to talk to her.”
“Sure.” She picked up line two. “Ms. Knox, this is Dr. Tessa McGowan, with the Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office.”
“It’s about my father, isn’t it?” Her voice sounded sad, resigned.
“Yes, it is. I’m sorry to say he passed away yesterday.”
“How?”
“We’re still trying to determine that. Do you mind if I put you on speakerphone, Ms. Knox? I have Agent Dakota Sharp with the Virginia State Police with me, and he’d like to ask you some questions.”
She hesitated. “Virginia police? Yeah, sure.”
Tessa pressed the speakerphone. “Ms. Knox, can you hear me?”
“Yes, I can hear you.”
“Ms. Knox. Agent Sharp.”
“Yes, Agent Sharp,” Ms. Knox said.
“Can you tell me about your late brother, Robert Knox?”
The line crackled with silence for a moment. “I don’t understand. My brother, Robbie, died twenty years ago. He drowned.”
“What can you tell me about Robbie?” Dakota asked. “I understand he was arrested on arson charges.”
More heavy silence. “I don’t see why you would care. But yes, Robbie was in trouble more than he wasn’t. As he grew older, he became harder to handle. And when he set that shed on fire with the dog inside, it devastated my mother. She and Dad both tried to get him help, but they couldn’t seem to reach him.”
“How did he drown?”
“Dad took him out on a fishing trip. It was a rainy, cold day. About halfway through the day, Robbie fell overboard. Dad said the current caught him and pulled him under. They never found his body.”
“Was there any kind of inquiry into the boy’s death?”
“I suppose. I was about fifteen at the time, and my parents kept most of the details to themselves. I do know in the end it was ruled an accident. I remember there was an insurance payout, which Dad gave to Mom.”
“And then your father moved east.”
“I think the strain of losing a child was too much. They split up right after Robbie died.” She sighed. “Dad was different after Robbie died. He withdrew from us completely.”
“What was it like for you, losing your brother?” Dakota asked.
“Honestly, my sister and I were relieved. Toward the end with him around, we slept with our door locked. He scared us.”
Dakota looked up at Tessa. “What did he do that was so frightening?”
“I’d wake up at night and he’d be standing over my bed.” She went silent. “He would tell me I looked so peaceful when I was sleeping. I looked like a perfect little doll.”
“A doll?”
“Mom tried to tell Dad that Robbie had problems, but Dad insisted he could control Robbie. That he would grow out of his fantasies. My parents fought a lot toward the end of their marriage.” Again she grew silent. “Look, this isn’t a subject I like talking about. Robbie tore our family apart.”
“Do you have a picture of your brother?” Dakota pressed.