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Mitch continued. “There’s one more victim who’s been identified, though. She fits the profile in terms of physical characteristics, but she’s a chef at a restaurant in downtown St. Louis,” he said. “I’m trying to find out if she worked at the hospital in any manner—but if she did, it was probably for cash, and no one is talking at this stage.”
“Have you spoken with Brandon Ross?” she asked, not sure if he’d answer, but he did.
He gave a small sigh. “I did, but I have nothing on him. I can’t connect him to the hospital, and other than Lana breaking it off with him, I can’t see a reason for him to do this. And that’s a pretty weak motive—most people don’t kill because they get dumped. Thankfully,” Mitch added.
“Hmm,” she said. Her instincts had picked up on him straight away—that something wasn’t right—but she’d had no proof of anything either.
“I’ll look into Jessica’s known acquaintances and see what we can find,” he said, sounding rather optimistic. He didn’t know if that was for her sake or his. After a brief pause, he asked, “What are you doing today?”
“Not a lot, I imagine,” she said with a slight grimace.
Mitch chuckled. “I need to take my dog for a long run through the woods today—the poor guy has been neglected this week. Do you want to come? Some fresh air might be good for your headache,” he said encouragingly.
“I don’t think I can run,” she said, shaking her head.
“Oh, I don’t run, or not today at least—Gus runs and I stroll around. It’s a good deal,” he said.
She was surprised by the beaming smile on her face. “Then sure, that sounds great.”
“Perfect, I’ll pick you up in about... an hour?”
“I’ll be ready,” she said, standing.
She headed straight for the shower, which was kind of moronic since she was about to go outside for a walk, but she desperately needed to freshen up.
She took a quick shower, dressed in active wear that felt like it had been bought in another lifetime—she couldn’t remember the last time she went to a Pilates class—and pulled her hair up into a bun.
She made another coffee, shoveled down some toast and ibuprofen, and by the time Mitch arrived she felt considerably better.
She smiled as she opened the door for him but her eyes immediately went to the fur ball sitting beside him.
“This is Gus,” Mitch said.
She leaned down to pet him, but paused. “Can I?”
“Sure, he won’t bite. He might bark, though; he doesn’t love new people, which suits me just fine—he is supposed to be a guard dog.”
Zoe held out her hand and let him sniff it, then he nuzzled into her hand and looked up at her with puppy eyes.
“Gus! You’re a terrible guard dog!” Mitch laughed. “I’ve never seen him do that before.”
She chuckled. “Zoe the dog whisperer,” she said, and Gus barked excitedly.
“Come on, let’s give this poor guy a run,” Mitch said, tugging on the leash, causing Gus to stand. “There’s a beautiful hike you can take from here, actually. It goes through to some waterfalls east of your property. Have you done the walk?”
Zoe shook her head. “I had no idea it was even there.”
“I’ll show you the way,” he said, and for a moment she saw something flicker in his eyes, but it was gone as fast as it came.
They walked about a yard into the woods before Mitch let Gus off the leash and he ran off.
“Aren’t you scared he’ll just run and run and you’ll lose him?” she asked.
Mitch showed her his phone. “He has a GPS collar on him, so I can track him. I’ve never needed it—well, only once,” he said, correcting himself, and they both knew what he was referring to. “I spent a lot of time training him when he was a pup, so he’s very obedient now. He’ll come back in a few minutes,” Mitch said, and sure enough, Gus came bounding through the trees.
“He must be good company,” she said, suddenly wondering if she should get a pet. She couldn’t think of a good reason not to. She certainly had the time to care for one.
“He is. I live alone,” he said, his voice suddenly thick.
