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Ten years was a long time, she reminded herself. Maybe those freaks had moved on. Grown up. Forgotten about their college days.
Changed.
She might not even recognize them if she saw them.
A scraggly-haired thin guy in glasses caught her eye. Her eyes darted toward a shorter guy with wavy brown hair in black jeans and a black shirt. A shiver went through her. Something about his eyes seemed familiar.
Was he the one who’d filmed the mock murders on campus?
Suddenly, the air in the room grew hot.
Janie nudged her arm as they entered the room, which held tables laden with appetizers and drink stations. “Forget about last night and those creeps. Let’s have fun like the old days.”
Beverly heard laughter and saw people hugging as they greeted each other. College had been fun… until that one night.
The one night she wished she could forget. The one night that had introduced her to the fact that real monsters were hiding among them.
SIXTY-FIVE
THE JAVA JUNKIE
Ellie tapped her fingers on her notepad as she studied the names of murdered coeds during the past ten years. This case might be the biggest one she’d worked to date.
She started with the death of Zelda North, ten days after Amy Dean’s. She pulled the police report and called Detective Brad Simmons, the lead investigator.
The desk sergeant plugged her through to him and Ellie explained the reason for her call. “There are similarities between Zelda’s murder, the Southside Slasher’s victims and other cases I’ve found. Did you make connections yourself?”
Detective Simmons made a clicking sound with his teeth. “No, I didn’t find any similar cases.”
“I understand Zelda’s throat was slashed and you arrested her boyfriend.”
“Yes. I pressured him for a confession but he insisted he was innocent. But we had enough circumstantial evidence to make the case.”
“When you searched his place and car, did you find a souvenir? Piece of her jewelry or clothing?”
“We found her scarf in his closet.”
They’d dated so that didn’t prove anything. “What else can you tell me about the crime? Was there anything unique about it? A detail that was disturbing.”
“It was a murder, so of course it was disturbing. A crime of passion,” he muttered. “I don’t get why you’re calling about it now.”
“As I said, I’m looking for a connection to a case on my desk,” Ellie said, not wanting to give too much away. “The killer cut Zelda’s throat. How about her hair?”
“What?” the man stuttered.
“Did he cut her hair? Maybe took a piece for himself?”
Papers rustled in the background. Then his voice cracked slightly. “As a matter of fact, her hair had been chopped.”
Ellie sucked in a breath. “Anything else?”
“Listen to me, I got the right guy,” he said, his defenses up. “I don’t know why you’re trying to stir up old wounds. The family is satisfied.”
Ellie dug her nails into her palms. Because they thought their daughter’s killer was behind bars. Which might not be the case.
Ellie filled him in on the deaths and timing of Vanna Michaels and Kitty Korley.
“Zelda’s boyfriend Theo Morton was locked up at the time, so they can’t be related,” he argued.
