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Marni Holloway was a victim in a string of killings that took place over a stretch of three years. The murders happened far enough apart that no one connected they were serials until later, and then they suddenly stopped.
Marni Holloway was determined to be the last victim. She was also in a romantic relationship with Julian Reed according to his file. Also noted in his file: Detective Alec Carson worked her case. Carson pegged Julian as the main suspect in her murder, regardless of the fact that it was documented as an unsolved serial case.
But there’s more…a new entry made just today. An entry that only Carson could’ve made that incriminates Colton in a two-year old case.
A blinding pressure builds behind my eyes and my ears fill with a high whirring noise. I squeeze my eyes closed. Block out the sound. Cradle my head in my hands.
I hear Carson’s voice trying to break through the attack, but it’s just a distant plea.
“Agent Bonds,” he says, and I feel his touch on my shoulder.
I lift my head, and Carson’s concerned face comes into focus. The flooding whoosh in my ears dies down to a slow trickle. “I’m all right.”
“You probably haven’t eaten anything for a while,” he says, offering a helpful excuse. “I get like that on a case, too. We should take a break.”
I shake my head, and immediately regret it. Pain lashes out at my temples. “No. Not until you tell me everything.”
He stands and backs up a step, keeping his gaze on me while offering me some distance. “I read your profile on the Roanoke Roper—” He waves a hand. “Sorry. Old habits. I mean, I read your profile on the Roanoke serial killer when I first got assigned as a detective on the case. It was my first actual case as a detective.”
“That had to be tough,” I say.
He releases a clipped breath. “Yeah. And I won’t lie, I mocked your profile. I didn’t buy into that shi—” he breaks off “—that analytic stuff back then. Truthfully, I was following Detective Quinn’s lead after he was called in to head up the investigation once it was upgraded to a serial killer case.”
“I remember. He wasn’t too thrilled about my profile, either.” It was the second time I’d been assigned to one of Quinn’s cases, and it was the one that put a bad taste in his mouth for me. Despite my tireless work on the profile, and his month spent away from his department to work a high profile case, the UNSUB was never apprehended.
It remains a cold case now.
“You were targeting Julian,” I say, continuing to ply the pieces together.
Carson nods. “Once I closed in on him, the killings stopped. I knew it was him. I had a feeling. There was just something off about that guy…and man, I wanted to nail him so bad. But he had an alibi. ”
“But the victims of the Roanoke killings were all prostitutes,” I say, mentally examining the case and profile, trying to figure out how he could’ve possibly made that connection. “I didn’t profile the last victim, but from what I recall, she wasn’t a prostitute.”
Carson squares his shoulders. “I was working an angle back then.” He turns and heads to his desk where he pulls out a couple of files from the side-drawer. “The girlfriend discovered the truth and he disposed of her, just like the others. I thought it was a sloppy cover, but no one else agreed with me.”
I run my sweat-slicked palms over my jeans and shake my head. “Weren’t you just scolding me earlier today about theories and speculations? That’s really reaching, Carson.”
He flips open a file. “Like I said, it was my first case. I’ve learned a lot since then, but I wasn’t that far off.” He tweaks out a page from the folder and walks around the desk to hand it to me. “I believe gut instinct is still the best weapon a detective has.”
A sickness coats my stomach as I read the report. “Where did you get this?”
“I’m a detective, Agent Bonds. That’s what I do. I detect and investigate. One thing about cities you live in your whole life? Information is easy to come by from the locals. Not much skill needed there.”
I stand and fold the page, then slip it into my pocket.
“You can’t take that—”
“I wish you would’ve approached me back then, Carson. I really do. I would’ve saved you a lot of wasted hours.” I turn to leave, but Carson catches my wrist.
On reflex, I twist my arm, breaking out of his hold and securing his arm. He yanks me in close to him, my body flush against his. “I’ve invested a whole lot more than hours into this case, Sadie. I’ve lost a girlfriend, become distant with my family, moved away from my home city…all in pursuit of this killer. And I’m not about to let you walk out of here without us coming to an understanding.”
I stay locked onto his hard gaze, noticing for the first time the flecks of gold in his brown irises. His measured breaths are slow and long as he keeps me firmly in place against him.
“Obsession is a hell of a thing,” I say, and yank myself free of his grasp.
A muscle feathers along his jaw. Then his stern features shift, easing into a lighter expression. He clears his throat. “This is your turf. I get that. I’m the new kid on the block.” He smiles, but it’s forced. Not his usual, easy charm. “Just give me the respect of keeping me in the loop. I’ve put a lot into this…and I want to be the one to bring them in.”
My eyebrows knit together. “Them?”
