Valentine Killer: Die For Me Part 15

Joe started to bundle up some beignets in a plastic container.

Ben and the blonde stood, but Ben cast Katherine one more glance. "Don't forget, if you have trouble..."

"What's going on?" the blonde asked, her eyebrows rising.

"Nothing," Katherine said immediately. The last thing she wanted was to pull these two into her nightmare.

The blonde's gaze was worried as it lingered on Katherine. Not worried in the jealous way. Just worried.

Joe pushed the to-go order toward Ben, and the couple headed toward the door. Katherine exhaled slowly. Her gaze swept over the diner. Joe had put out a few dozen red tablecloths for Valentine's Day. The red was dark-and it reminded her far too much of blood. Joe had also put bouquets of white balloons in each corner of the restaurant. His patrons were smiling, relaxing, obviously enjoying the decorations.

But those decorations just made Katherine tense.

Valentine's Day is so close.

The bell jingled again. She figured it was Ben and his blonde leaving, so she didn't glance back. But then she heard, "Katherine."

Dane's voice.

She turned toward the door.

Ben and the blonde weren't outside yet. Dane and Mac had come into the cafe. They looked grim, determined.

Another kill? She stood on trembling legs. Oh no, please...

"Dane?" The blonde said his name in surprise. She glanced between Dane and Katherine. "Is everything okay?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Maggie," Dane said as he gave her a quick nod. His gaze scanned over Ben. Then he hurried toward Katherine. His voice dropped, and he said, "You need to come with me."

"Katherine, is this a friend of yours?" Joe asked as his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Ben had tensed.

Maggie also appeared nervous. "He's a cop," Katherine heard the blonde tell Ben. "He works with my dad."

Katherine slid off the stool. "It's okay, Joe. This is Detective Dane Black."

Dane tossed some money down on the counter. "Come on, Katherine."

She hurried to grab her bag. The plainclothes shadow was also rising to leave.

"But she didn't eat!" Joe called out.

It didn't matter. Suddenly she wasn't hungry.

Then they were outside. The rising heat hit her in the face, and before she could head toward Dane's parked car, he was pulling her away from the street and into the shadows on the side of the building.

"Do you trust me?" Dane demanded as his hands closed around her shoulders.

She tensed. Katherine didn't want to give him the harsh answer, but the truth was, she didn't trust anyone.

"I need you to trust me, Katherine."

She could only shake her head. "I'm sorry."

A muscle flexed in his jaw. "I think the killer has been very close to you, Katherine. Close all along, and you didn't even realize it."

Her skin started to feel icy.

"Amy Evans used to be Amy Lancaster."

The ice started to burn.

"As in Trent's ex-wife."

Dane led Katherine to the interrogation room, making sure to keep his hand light on her shoulder. They'd come in the back entrance to make sure no press saw them. Or rather, her.

Trent was just coming out of the captain's office, with Evelyn at his side.

Dane didn't glance their way as he led Katherine by them.

"Katherine!" Trent tried to hurry to her.

Mac pushed the guy back. "Sir, you need to back away."

Dr. Knight jumped in. "I told you, Trent, she's a disturbed woman."

Dane's teeth locked, and his finger skimmed over Katherine's shoulder. Her whole body had tensed, and he knew fury when he felt it, but Katherine didn't say a word to her ex-shrink. Though her eyes sure looked p.i.s.sed.

Since she wasn't talking, he was more than happy to say, "Dr. Knight, why don't you keep those opinions to yourself for now?"

He walked right past the FBI profiler. He'd called Wayne in for this scene, and the agent's head inclined just slightly. Dane might not like the profiler, but he would use him.

He would use almost anyone to get his job done.

Ross was around too, but staying out of sight for the time being. Like the marshal would have let them bring Katherine into the station again without his okay.

When Dane had called him, Ross had been hesitant about the plan, but he'd finally agreed. Once he'd realized this gave them their best shot at stopping a killer, Ross had been ready to come on board.

Dane opened the door to interrogation room one and escorted Katherine inside. She eased into a chair and stared up at him.

He could see the fear in her eyes. Was she afraid he was setting her up? Evelyn had sure come across strong in her belief that Katherine was a killer, but he knew one thing that the shrink didn't know.

"You had an alibi when Amy Evans vanished," he said. "You were under surveillance. The cops were watching you."

Trent had been p.i.s.sed when he left Katherine's place after their date. So angry that he'd gone out and gotten a little revenge on his ex?

Maybe.

Or maybe the plan had been to murder Amy all along, and to use Katherine just to raise suspicion about Valentine once more.

Dane had to see if he could connect the dots between their first victim and the not-so-good doctor.

His fingers brushed her arm. "Just stay here. I'll be back soon."

He might even be returning with an audience.

When he was at the door, he glanced back at her. Just that fast, it looked like her fear was gone. There was no trace of any emotion in her eyes.

Her hand lifted, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Then she rolled her right shoulder, as if pus.h.i.+ng away a burden.

Dane left the interrogation room and kept his face set in hard, tense lines. He carried his own darkness. One that he worked so hard to hide from others.

"What's going on?" Trent demanded as Dane approached him. "Why is Kat here?"

Dane ground his teeth at the use of "Kat."

"According to your partner," Dane said, inclining his head toward Evelyn, whose eyes were worried, "Katherine may have important evidence to contribute to this case."

"What are you talking about?" Trent yanked a hand through his disheveled hair. "How could she have evidence?"

"You really don't know who she is?" Mac asked, c.o.c.king his head.

Marcus the profiler was watching from just a few feet away.

Trent shook his head.

"You ever hear of the Valentine Killer?" Dane said.

Trent's brows lowered. "Vaguely. I don't really follow the news." The guy actually sounded impatient. What a p.r.i.c.k.

"Three years ago, a man named Michael O'Rourke killed four women in Boston." Four they knew of. "He kidnapped them, bound their hands and feet with rope, used his knife to slice their arms, then drove his knife into each woman's heart."

Trent stumbled back and b.u.mped into the captain. "Like what happened with Amy."

Dane kept his stare on the man.

Trent's gaze darted to the closed interrogation room door. "Was Katherine a victim who got away?"

Mac pressed closer. "Katherine was the killer's fiancee."

Trent blanched. "What?"

Dr. Knight bit her lip. "Trent-"

"She found him right after he killed Stephanie Gilbert," Dane said. "Katherine is the one who called the cops, but they didn't arrive in time to catch Valentine. He vanished, and the FBI has been looking for him ever since."

Trent's chest rose and fell rapidly. His gaze turned to Evelyn. There was fury in his eyes. "You said she was damaged."

"She is, and-"

He lifted his hand. His fingers were rock steady as his eyes came back to Dane's. "Was she in on the killings? Is that what this is about? Dammit, do you think she killed Amy?"

This was what they'd wanted. To see the doctor's reaction. To push him for a response. "What do you think?" Dane asked.

"I think I didn't know her at all. I thought she was vulnerable, hurt. She seemed to need me." His eyes squeezed shut. "Did I mention Amy to her? Did I show her a picture? I can't remember."

"It would have been easy enough for her to find out about your ex," Dr. Knight said. "Actually"-she looked stricken as she paused and confessed-"I might have even told her. I just can't be sure."

They had the doctor off-balance. Now it was time to move this into interrogation. Dane glanced at the captain, who gave a faint nod. "Let's go someplace private, where we can talk more."

Mac led Trent and Evelyn toward the second interrogation room, which was just a few feet from the one where Katherine waited. Trent's gaze darted to that room, again and again.

Neither the profiler nor the captain followed them into the room. They were going to watch from the observation area.

Once inside, Mac stood at his usual position near the wall.

Dane took a seat across from the two shrinks. If anyone in the room was skilled at playing head games...

He'd have to tread carefully.

"Do either of you know a Savannah Slater?" Dane asked.

Dane saw Trent's eyelashes flicker.

"The name is familiar," Dr. Knight murmured. Her brow furrowed, and then she inhaled sharply. "Wait, is she that poor reporter who was killed?"

"Yes, Dr. Knight-"

"Evelyn," she murmured, cutting through his words. "At this point..." Her smile was tired. "Just call me Evelyn."

"Savannah Slater was killed last week."

"In a manner very similar to your ex-wife's murder," Mac added, his gaze ever watchful.

Trent's shoulders sagged. "I knew her. And I knew Amy."

It was exactly what Dane had been hoping to hear. His gaze cut to Mac.

Mac's right eyebrow lifted.

Dane's gaze slid back to his suspect.

Trent licked his lips. "Savannah and I went out a few times. Nothing serious."

"When was this?" Dane kept his voice expressionless.

"About six months ago." Trent's hands pushed against the tabletop. "Maybe seven. We met in a club. She was smart and pretty." He paused, then added softly, "A long-legged brunette."