Kill for Me

“In the study.” Ta

“Feeling’s mutual,” Rocky muttered. She knocked on Bobby’s door and entered before being given permission.

Bobby looked up, eyes ice blue. “You’re a little late. I sent you on a simple errand last night and you return eight hours later.”

“You had that nurse’s sister killed.”

Bobby’s brows lifted. “Of course. The girl’s still alive.”

“Yeah, she is. And so is Beardsley.”

Bobby shot up, furious. “What?”

Rocky laughed. “So the swami doesn’t know everything.” Then her head was knocked sharply to the left as Bobby’s hand co

“You little bitch. How dare you?”

Rocky’s cheek stung. “Because I’m angry. I guess I just got angry enough.”

“Sweetheart, you don’t know the meaning of the word. I gave you a job. You failed.”

“I reconvened. There was no way the nurse was going to be able to kill Monica Cassidy in ICU.”

“So she told you. And you believed her,” Bobby said with contempt.

“And I found another way to achieve the goal, which is more than I can say for whichever flunky failed to kill the army chaplain.”

Bobby sat slowly, features like granite. “Beardsley flatlined.”

“Obviously they brought him back,” Rocky said coldly. “Now ICU is locked up tighter than Fort Knox.”

“Tell me what you did.”

“I drove to Charlotte and snatched Monica’s little sister. She’s in the trunk of my car.”

Bobby actually paled, sending Rocky’s pulse skyrocketing. “You did what?”

“I took her sister. I’ve been chatting her up for two months now. Monica sold so well, I thought her sister would sell well, too.”

“Did you stop to think about the repercussions? One child ru

Rocky sank into a chair. “I hadn’t thought about that. But it’s okay. I went to the bus station wearing her hoodie and bought a ticket to Raleigh, where her father lives. If the cops do investigate, it’ll look like she went to live with him.”

“I see,” Bobby said coolly. “I see that I gave you a simple task-to ensure the nurse’s compliance. I see you failed to do so. And I see you’ve taken a failure and compounded it with this unauthorized procurement. I will deal with the new girl and the nurse myself. You are dismissed.”

Rocky stood, willed her body not to tremble. “The new girl is here. You might as well use her. She’s even prettier than her sister. You can ship her out of the country where they don’t have milk cartons. She’ll bring a good price.”

Bobby tapped the desk, thinking. “Perhaps. Now go.”

Rocky stood her ground. “What will you do to the nurse?”

“What I promised.”

“No. You promised to kill her son next. He’s only eight. Just like your-”

“Enough.” Bobby rose, eyes ice blue with fury, and Rocky could no longer control her trembling. “I will have obedience, from the nurse and from you. You are dismissed.”

Bobby waited until Rocky was gone, then redialed Paul.

“I thought I told you not to call me again today,” Paul snapped.

Insolent man. I’d kill you, but I need you. “I need you to go up to Raleigh.”

“I’m on duty tonight.”

“Call in sick. I pay you triple what Atlanta PD does, anyway.”

“Dammit, Bobby.” Paul’s sigh was frustrated. “What do you want me to do?”

“I need you to clean up Rocky’s mess.”

“Rocky’s made quite a few messes lately.”

“Yes, I know. When you’ve cleaned up this one, we’ll discuss disposition of Rocky.”

Atlanta , Saturday, February 3, 8:40 a.m.

Luke told the team Susa

Chase sat back, stu

Luke hesitated. “She never reported either assault.”

“For God’s sake, why not?” Chase thundered.

“She was a victim, Chase,” Mary McCrady said in her psychologist voice.

“None of this is easy for her,” Luke said, “and now she’s got some creep in a black sedan following her around. She’s pla

“So you’re going to the funeral to see if black sedan man shows up,” Ed said. “You’ll want video surveillance. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks,” Luke said. It wasn’t the only reason he’d decided to go to Sheila Cu

“The thích we were searching for,” Pete murmured. “It all falls together somehow.”

“Let’s figure out how,” Chase said. “Hank, get down to Sava

“I can handle myself,” Pete said tightly.

“I know,” Chase said, gently. “But I’m still not putting you in the situation.”

“I’m still tracking the medical supplies we found in the bunker,” Ed said. “We’re also ru

“Good,” Chase said. “What else?”

“I want to talk to Susa

“I’m meeting her at her hotel in a little while,” Chloe said. “I’ll tell her to call you.”

“She’s not at her hotel,” Luke said. “She’s in my office. She drove here when the black sedan was following her. She’s researching the swastika symbol.”

Chase waved at the door. “Now go, and good luck. We meet again at five. Luke, stay.” When the door was closed and they were alone, Chase met his eyes with a troubled frown. “Why didn’t Susa

“The first time, she was terrified of Simon, who told her she had to sleep sometime.”

Chase’s jaw hardened. “Sonofabitch. So what about the second time?”

I didn’t deserve justice either. “She was scared, and being Daniel’s sister, has felt guilty all these years that her friend died and she didn’t.”

“They are alike, aren’t they?”

“Two peas in a fucking pod.”

“Is her story documented?”

“Documentable, I imagine. Her boss has known for years and he’s an ADA.”

“Why are you going to that funeral, really?”

Luke frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I don’t have resources to waste babysitting Susa

“You think I’d do that?” Luke felt his blood pressure rise. “Waste resources?”

“I think you wouldn’t see it that way. Look, I feel sorry for Susa

Luke struggled for patience. He was tired and irritable. Chase was, too, and neither one of them wore that combination well. “I’m not babysitting her. Am I concerned? Yes. Think about this. She’s raped at age sixteen. The only people who know are either dead or Garth Davis. She leaves home, goes to college. Then at age twenty-three, she’s raped again, on the same fucking date. She’s branded, her friend beaten to death. She’s ashamed and scared and says nothing. Six years later, that same brand turns up on Granville’s amulet and on the hips of five girls Granville murdered.”