Page 370 of Rangers Unexpected Return

Three weeks later, I stood inside Captain Robert Mills’s office in Dallas.

Except it wasn’t his office anymore.

Federal investigators had emptied the shelves.

Evidence boxes covered the floor.

His commendations had been removed from the wall.

Only pale rectangles remained.

Places where honor had pretended to live.

An internal-affairs investigator handed me a file.

“We found this in his private cabinet.”

Inside were copies of every report I had written about the seven murdered women.

Notes filled the margins.

My theories.

My mistakes.

My next moves.

Robert had known everything.

At the back rested seven photographs.

One for each victim. All except Emily.

Under every face, Robert had written a date.

The day he killed Emily.

Rylie’s photograph came last.

No death date.

Only two words.

FINAL WITNESS.

My stomach turned.

Mace stood in the doorway.

He had traveled with me because I hadn’t wanted to walk into this office alone.

I hadn’t needed him.

I had wanted him.

There was a difference.

I closed the file.