Page 10 of Dark Angel
Animals?Beth blinked, wondering what animals had to do with the current case. Had she missed something? “I like dogs fine, as long as they don’t jump all over me. Why? Is it pertinent to the case?”
“Nope, I guess not.” Styles stared at his cowboy boots for a beat before shrugging. “It’s just that I usually have Bear with me here in the office. He’s a Belgian Malinois and used to being by my side. He’s not keen on being left alone all day.”
Containing a smile, Beth nodded. Actually, she preferred animals to humans. Animals were predictable. They were placid or batshit crazy, and it only took a few seconds to determine which way they leaned. She understood her empathy for pets was unusual in a psychopath, but she considered it to be one of her more redeemable traits and it deflected any scrutiny. Most behavioral analysts wouldn’t consider someone like her capable of loving anything, least of all a pet. “Is he part of the team? What’s his background?”
“He is primarily an attack canine, but I’ve trained him in search and rescue.” Styles leaned against the counter as his expression became animated. “He won’t jump on you.”
Interested Beth smiled. “I knew you were a military cop, but your file doesn’t mention being a handler. How did a K-9 end up with you?”
“Bear was injured the same day as his handler was killed in action.” Styles gaze narrowed. “I’d worked with his handler many a time and knew Bear well. K-9s often won’t work with a different handler, but as Bear knew me, and needed time to recover, I offered to give him a home. We left the service on the same day. Now he works with me. The bureau pays for all his expenses and supplies his FBI coats.” He shrugged. “So yeah, that makes him part of the team.”
Wanting to meet this remarkable dog, Beth smiled. “Well, go get him.”
“I will.” Styles headed for the door. “Thanks.”
Moving back to stand in front of the gruesome images, Beth nodded slowly as her dark calculating side crept back beneath her skin. This killer was very particular about the age and type of girls he murdered. The bodies were all of very young blonde-haired girls, but the friends were of varying appearances. Her mind went back to cases she’d investigated, and faces of similar girls raced into her mind. A copycat, or had the Pied Piper been a busy boy? She turned and stared out of the window. He was out there somewhere and she would find him. He’d crossed her line of acceptable behavior and, yes, she had standards and killing little girls was at the top of her no-go list. She wanted to go to the window and scream out that she was coming for him but instead lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “When this blonde hunts you down, you rabid kid-killing monster, she’s going to make you suffer.”
TEN
WEDNESDAY
Styles’ phone buzzed and he stared at the caller ID. It was the local sheriff, Cash Ryder. “Morning, Cash. What can I do for you?”
“Two girls have gone missing from Rainbow—Brooklyn Daniels and Skylar Peters. The locals have been out searching since Monday night. They found a body an hour or so ago and believe it’s Brooklyn. I went by, as Rainbow is in my jurisdiction. I took Nate with me. We’ll need you here to cast your eye over the crime scene.”Ryder cleared his throat.“That case on your whiteboard. This is the same MO. I figure we’ve got ourselves a serial killer.”
Scrubbing a hand down his face, Styles stared at Beth. “Okay, find me somewhere close by to set down the chopper and send me the coordinates. We’ll be there ASAP.” He disconnected and explained the situation to Beth.
“If the body has been there since Monday, why hasn’t anyone smelled it? Two little girls couldn’t have walked far.” Beth pulled her dark blonde hair into a ponytail and secured it with a band from around her wrist. She stood and collected her things. “Didn’t they search for them when they went missing—and who is Nate? So many new names, I’ve lost track.”
Styles attached a holster to his thigh, checked the load in his revolver, and grabbed a Kevlar vest from a hook on the wall. “Not a problem. Dr. Nate Mace is our local doctor. He’s young and up to date. I’ve never had a problem with him taking care of the victims, dead or alive.” He collected a forensics kit. “Grab some of the food to take with us. We could be gone for hours.” He spun the chamber in the revolver and checked the load.
“You carry a .357 Magnum?” Beth looked at him and blinked. “Really?” She tossed food and energy bars into a carrier and added bottled water.
Pulling on gloves and setting his Stetson on his head, he gave her a lazy smile. “I’ll have to take the city girl out of you. We’re in the Montana Rocky Mountains, and it’s home to an endangered species of bear. Grizzlies like it here and this time of year they’re hunting for food to stay them over winter. If one of them decides we’re his next meal and the usual distractions don’t work, we’ll need a backup plan.” He touched the hilt of his gun. “This will stop one intent on killing us, or the noise will frighten a black bear away, but trust me, it will only make a grizzly mad.” He tossed her a Kevlar vest withFBIin tall yellow letters front and back. “Put that on. There’s a killer out there or maybe two. The Tarot Killer is in Montana. There’re two positive cases he was involved in over the last couple of months. This perp is perfect for him, so we’ll need to watch our backs.”
“I didn’t read anything about him killing cops.” Beth hoisted the bag over one shoulder. “Have you?”
After whistling Bear to his side, he shrugged. “There’s always a first time.” He bent and rubbed the dog’s ears. “Stay here, boy. We’ll be back soon.” He glanced at Beth. “He likes to come with me, but he’s not been to too many murder scenes. I figure we should leave him behind this time.”
“He’s your dog.” Beth glanced around. “What if he needs to pee?”
Styles bit back a grin. She actually cared about his dog. “He just had a walk. He’ll be okay. Worse case, I mop it up. It’s not a big deal. He has food and water and a warm place to sleep. He’ll be just fine.” He headed for the door. “Okay. See you later, Bear.”
Taking a new agent as a partner was difficult. Deep in thought as he took the chopper alongside the mountain range toward Rainbow, Styles pondered what it would be like to trust someone to watch his back again. He’d always been a loner. Fresh out of Quantico, he’d found DC restrictive and, used to doing things his way, had gotten him into trouble. After spending six months behind a desk, he volunteered for the most remote posting. Due to his military career, the FBI had no qualms about sending him out alone to a remote mining town in Montana. He enjoyed the solitude and had his own demons to fight. The current case had unearthed memories he’d rather forget, but what had happened so long ago was the reason he’d become an MP.
At eight, he’d walked with his sister to the local park. She’d always wanted to be in charge and he’d been a jerk. He’d run away from her, dashing into the forest and hiding. He’d heard her calling him and hunkered down and ignored her. When he’d come out, she’d vanished. He’d walked home alone and told his mom, but in fear of getting a beating from his pa, he’d lied and told her Ginny had left him alone in the park. He remembered the panic, the neighbors running back and forth, people coming from everywhere all calling her name. They never found her. Someone had taken her but he’d never known the details until he’d joined the FBI. The cops had found evidence of a struggle, hair, and her shoes but nothing else. What had happened caused a domino effect in his life. Soon after, his parents split up and then his father took his own life. His mother had never told him the truth about his sister’s disappearance, even after he’d confessed about lying. No one had been brought to justice for taking his sister and the case had gone cold. He glanced at Beth and wondered if he should tell her. It was obvious since she arrived that Beth had an analytical mind. It had been a long time ago, but whoever had taken, killed, and buried his sister could still be out there. He’d never discussed the case with anyone and one day he’d get to the truth of what really happened, but for now he’d keep it to himself until he’d gotten to know her better.
“You always this quiet?” Beth looked at him and raised her eyebrows. “I feel like an intruder.”
Styles laughed. “Sorry, I’m used to being alone. It’s usually just me and Bear and he isn’t good at holding a conversation. What’s on your mind?”
“Apart from the case, absolutely nothing.” Beth took a sip of water from a bottle and shrugged. “I know nothing about you apart from what’s in your file. If we’re going to have each other’s backs, we should at least try and be sociable.” She grinned. “I’m guessing the people who put us together are having a good laugh at our expense right now.”
Nodding, Styles swung the chopper toward the coordinates. In the distance the flashing lights of the sheriff’s truck lit up the field like a beacon. “Yeah, but I figure we can keep out of each other’s way if necessary. I’m sure, like me, you enjoy time alone to think. We can discuss cases, and as soon as you get to know the area, you can investigate alone, if that’s what you want.”
“I don’t need your permission to do that.” Beth narrowed her gaze. “I’ve found being a woman is an advantage. People are more likely to talk to me. I’m not perceived as a threat… and I don’t have the reputation of taking apart the locals.”
Styles grinned at her. “Ouch!” He flew over the landing area, a rough patch of soil running alongside the forest left from gold excavation. “When we get some downtime, I’d like to pick your brains about a cold case that’s been bugging me for years. Two heads might be able to solve it.”
