Page 11 of Constant Risk
Tanner rubbed his eyes. Until Jeter was in actual prison, and not just a county jail cell, Tanner wasn’t going to breathe easy, even from here. Bringing Bree closer to Jeter went against every protective fiber in his being.
But he also knew Bree. Knew she would never agree to hide from the possible risk of Jeter, even after her near panic attack last night just thinking about him, if lives were at stake. If Bree could help she would want to.
“Okay, I know she’ll want to help. I’ll get her to you.”
He listened as Whitaker provided details about flights that day. Tanner would get Bree to Dallas. But he damn well would be staying glued to her side.
Chapter Five
On the way to help with a murder case was not the way Bree had envisioned taking her first airplane ride.
When Tanner had come in from talking on the phone his face had been pinched and tight.
“That was Whitaker. He’s in Dallas and has a serial killer on his hands. He needs help.”
She’d just nodded. She didn’t like that their conversation would have to wait, but knew Tanner’s job was always important. “When do you leave?”
“Actually, it’s moreyouhe needs than me. He has a killer sending some sort of live footage of the murder scene and their tech team can’t figure out from where. He’d like for you to take a look.”
She hadn’t even been sure how to respond. The police wantedherto help with a case?
“You don’t have to go, of course,” Tanner said when she hadn’t answered.
“No. I want to help.” Just the thought of being at a strange police department by herself, even with Whitaker around, was daunting. She shrugged. “I just don’t do well with people. You know.”
He pulled her against him.Thank goodness.Maybe she hadn’t broken their relationship with what she’d said earlier. “I’m going to call the sheriff and get the time off so I can go with you. I wouldn’t ever send you alone. Plus, it’s inDallas. I don’teven like you being in the same state as Jeter, much less the same city. I don’t care how locked up he is.”
Tanner had arranged all the flights and details. He had even been excited for her when he’d realized this was her first time on a plane, taking the requisite picture of her from the airport terminal. He’d held her hand when the plane had hit a little turbulence. He’d talked to her and given her what few details he’d had about the situation.
Even though everything seemed okay on the surface, Bree knew it wasn’t. Because of what she’d said this morning.
Score another point for the girl incapable of appropriate emotions. She didn’t know how to make this right, and it wasn’t going to get any easier while trying to help solve a murder.
Richard Whitaker was there to pick them up from the Dallas airport. He shook Tanner’s hand and smiled at Bree, knowing her well enough to understand she wouldn’t want to touch anyone unless she had to. She’d learned how to act appropriately around others, but it still didn’t come naturally.
She gave him a little wave. “Hey, Whitaker.”
“Thank you for coming.” He walked with them out to his car.
“So what exactly is going on?” Tanner asked as they drove into downtown Dallas.
Whitaker took a deep breath. “We had two bodies on two different sides of town.”
“What was the cause of death?” Tanner asked.
“They had both drowned.”
“Are you sure that’s even a serial killer?” Bree asked. “People can drown in just two inches of water.”
“Believe me,” Whitaker said. “I would not have brought you out if I wasn’t sure we had a killer on our hands. Yes, the cause of death was drowning. Both victims weren’t in water when they were found, but they had water in their lungs.”
“Definitely drowned then,” Bree muttered.
Whitaker nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. “They were both found in boxes—almost like coffins. Both were restrained in the box by both wrists and ankles.”
“Someone filled it with water while they were trapped there?” Tanner said.
Whitaker nodded sharply. “Yes.”
