She loved the tiny donut bites. “If you weren’t married, I’d propose right now.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think Alex would like that.”
“My loss, I know.”
“Don’t you think it’s time you called me Ray?”
“I didn’t realize you had a first name.”
He snorted and shoved half a fritter into his mouth. “I don’t, according to the newbs who recently joined. They call me Rookie-Killer Ryan.”
She chuckled. “Well, Rookie-Killer, call me Jane. I figure you’ve earned it with the Pot Holes.” She’d mentioned once, over a year ago, while on a case they worked that she liked them. And he hadn’t forgotten.
On the drive, while they ate and drank coffee in companionable silence, she eventually took a breath to ask, “What do you know of Sherry Duvall?”
“When I interviewed her before, she had nothing to add. She’s the middle child, younger than Jim but older than Dave. She takes care of their mother and is flush with the money Jim set aside to care for the older woman, who’s got a developing case of Alzheimer’s. Sherry’s a nurse and decent caretaker. No conflict with either brother and has a spotless record as a nurse.”
“Did she seem sincere to you?”
He nodded. “Just like Dave, but without the nerves and the lying.”
“Great. Well, let’s hope we can get something off her phone call about Bubbles.”
“Yeah.Bubbles.” He grinned. “I wonder what kind of dog that is? A Pekinese? A Maltese? Something small that barks a lot, I’ll bet.”
“Hmm. Maybe a Pomeranian or Yorkie.”
“You might be right.” Ray added, his tone more serious, “What kind of killer are we hunting, Jane? He’s not just killing the families. He’s torturing them.” His voice turned gravelly. “He’s hurting kids.”
“We’ll find him. And we’ll stop him.” That was a promise.
“I just hope we can stop him before he gets to the next family.” Ray paused then added, “Why do you think he’s letting the pets go?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t mesh with the profile I have of him in my head. He’s smart and systematic. He enjoys his kills, and he’s meticulous.”
“Yet you found that notebook,” Ray pointed out.
“Because I’m meticulous too.” She grinned, pleased he seemed to relax. “He wants something from these specific families. His targets aren’t random.”
“So where will he strike next?”
“If I’m right, he’ll hit another name on the list. There are ten in total, and he’s removed three of them.” She rattled off a few of the familiar families listed, which made Ray’s eyes widen.
“Those are some powerful people.”
“I know, right? The Collective is at the heart of these murders. I think the killer is not only stealing money but also data stored in those crypto wallets.”
Ray frowned. “It’s bugged me that the killer never took any of the easy cash from his kills. Stacks of money, bonds, jewelry. He didn’t touch it.”
“Yeah. He’s got a plan and is following it to the letter.” She thought about it. “But the maid surprised him. A treat for all his hard work.” She explained to Ray what she meant, filling him in on the Strand family.
“Damn. Cut her up into pieces? That’s sick.”
“And not easy to do. Cutting through bone takes strength, and the proportions of all that carnage were similar. This guy’s not new to killing. He’s good at it.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
“He likes it,” Ray growled. “I can’t wait to catch this guy.”
