Brody Law

Familiar and painful.

Now he’d gone and scared the color out of the victim—Elise, who was shrinking against her pillow, her face as white as the sheets. He’d already startled her when he jumped from his chair, knocking it over. No need for both of them to be freaking out right now.

Sean scooped in a breath and shook down his sleeve. “Similar to that, huh?”

“Similar? Exactly the same.”

Her blue eyes took up half her face, and she eyed him like a trapped animal.

He should’ve never shown her his tattoo. He’d completely misplaced his professional demeanor during this interview. A bird with spread wings—lots of tattoos like that out there.

“I doubt it’s exactly the same, Ms. Duran.”

“Elise.”

“Elise.” At least she still wanted him to use her first name. “You said it was dark. A bird is a bird.”

She chewed her lip and then relaxed her shoulders. “Can I see it again?”

He hadn’t buttoned his cuff, so he shoved the sleeve up his arm again and rotated his forearm.

She leaned forward and her blond hair tickled the inside of his elbow. She smelled salty—not at all what he expected from this blue-eyed blonde with the peaches-and-cream skin.

She wrinkled her nose. “I guess it could’ve been different. He had a bird tattoo. You have a bird tattoo.”

He smoothed down his sleeve and buttoned the cuff. “I’m glad we got that out of the way. I wanted to show you mine to see if it would prompt any more detail.”

Actually, he hadn’t been thinking at all. What did it matter if he and a killer both had a tattoo of a bird on their arms? Unless someone was trying to pin something on him.

Just as someone pinned something on Dad.

“I...I really didn’t mean to imply that I thought it was you out there.” She twisted her damp hair into a rope over her shoulder. “The similarity just startled me. You have to admit it’s a coincidence.”

Despite the warmth of the space, he slid into his jacket. “Yeah, a coincidence. A lot of people have tattoos today, but that detail might make it easier to find this guy.”

“I hope so. I’m not his first, am I?”

“I can’t say for sure, Elise.” He tucked his notepad into his jacket pocket. “Is the hospital releasing you soon?”

“The nurse is coming back to check my temperature. If it’s at a safe level, I’m free to go.”

“It’s almost morning. How are you getting home?”

“Taxi.” She hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. “My purse. It must’ve fallen on the ground outside the club.”

“Or he took it.”

She widened her baby blues, which seemed to get even bluer. “My license is in there, my phone, my credit card.”

He has her address and her contacts and God knows what else.

“If he tries to use the card, we can track him.”

“He knows my address now. I got away. I can give a description of him.” Her hands clawed at the sheets.

He resisted the urge to take one of those small fists in his hand. “Maybe he left the purse at the scene. We’ll call the club to see if anyone found it. We’re going to canvass outside the club anyway, see if he left any evidence, question the employees.”

Still clutching the sheets, she said, “I’m sure he has my purse. He called my name wh-when I was hiding from him. I never told him my name.”

A nurse peeked around the curtain and tiptoed to the bed in the small space. “Excuse me, Detective. I need to take her temperature.”

Sean scooted his chair back to give her room, and the nurse leaned over Elise, pinching a thermometer between her fingers and wheeling the machine on the stand closer to the bed.

“I’m just going to put this under your tongue and we’ll see how you’re doing.” The nurse made a tsking noise. “They could’ve done a better job drying your hair.”

Elise twirled a damp lock around her finger and shrugged.

The nurse peered at the thermometer. “You’re good to go. How do you feel? How’s the head?”

“I’m warm, I’m dry and my head hasn’t hurt since the last ibuprofen I took.”

“Then I’ll bring your clothes and have the doctor sign your release. I’m sorry we have to kick you out of the emergency room. You should see your own doctor as soon as possible for a once-over.”

“I will, thanks.”

When the nurse left, Elise clasped her hands in her lap, looking...lost.

Sean cleared his throat. “Since you don’t have your purse, can I give you a lift home? Unless you want to call a friend.”

Or a boyfriend? Husband? Surely this woman had someone in her life, someone to keep her safe.

“I’ll take the ride, if you don’t mind. My best friend is the one I went to the club with. I doubt she’s going to be up at this time of the morning. I doubt she’s going to be home.”

“I’m assuming you lost your keys, too. How are you going to get into your place?”

“I hide a set outside.”

“Not a great idea.” He started to shake a finger at her, and then snatched it back. She didn’t need one of his lectures on safety.

Color rushed into her pale cheeks as she dropped her gaze to her folded hands. “I guess it wasn’t a great idea to approach this guy at two in the morning on a deserted street, either.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Elise. He’s clever. Why would you think he’d be a danger with a cast on?”

He’s not the first killer to use this ploy, and he won’t be the last. He had to remember that, too. The M.O. wasn’t unique, just as bird tattoos weren’t unique.

“I should’ve known. My friend, Courtney, would’ve known. Street smarts she’d call it.”

“Is Courtney the one who stayed at the club past two and may not be home this morning?” He raised one eyebrow.

“Yeah.” A smiled hovered on lips.

“Doesn’t sound too street smart to me.”

“Here are your clothes.” The nurse had a plastic bag hanging from her wrist and a black dress dangling from her fingers. “We did our best to dry them, but I think the dress is ruined.”

“Oh, well. Small price to pay.” Elise took the dress from the nurse and shook it out.

Sean pushed up from the plastic chair. “I’ll be in the waiting room.”

It didn’t take long for Elise to get dressed. After he’d circled the waiting room twice and inspected and rejected the vending machine in the corner, Elise shuffled into the waiting room, hospital slippers on her feet and a snug black dress hugging her curves.

She crossed her bare arms, and Sean strode across the room, shrugging out of his jacket. “Can’t the hospital loan you a blanket for the trip home?”

“I think the nurse expected someone to pick me up and bring a change of clothes.”

He draped his jacket around her shoulders. “Do you want me to call someone for you?”

“It’s too early in the morning to call anyone.”

“Family?”

“None here.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Nonexistent.”

At least he’d gotten that out of the way. He pulled the jacket tight under her chin. It was as if her assailant had known she was alone. Maybe this wasn’t a random attack.

He pointed to her feet. “Can you walk in those things?”

“If I don’t pick up my feet, they’re surprisingly comfortable. My shoes have been swept out to sea by now.”

Sean had parked his unmarked car in the small driveway in front of the emergency room entrance. He guided Elise to the car with a hand on the small of her back. Comfortable or not, it looked as if she could trip over those slippers at any minute.

He opened the front passenger door for her and she ducked in the car, tugging at her short dress. Had it shrunk after her dip in the bay? The black, sparkly material barely covered her assets—not that he minded.

He cranked on the heater after cranking on the engine. “Are you warm enough?”

“I’m fine.” She wiggled her toes and tapped on the window. “Maybe we’ll get some clear weather today.”

“That fog saved you last night, or rather earlier this morning.”

“It did.” She pinned her hands, completely covered by the sleeves of his jacket, between her bouncing knees.

“Where to?” He rolled away from the curb, looking over his left shoulder.

“Sunset District. I live in a house—the owner has the upstairs and I get the downstairs. It was divided into two apartments.”

“Okay, just give me directions as we get closer.” He scratched his chin. He didn’t want to keep bringing up the attack, but that’s why he was here, wasn’t it?

“We need you at the station sometime today to work with a sketch artist. Even if the guy was wearing a disguise, maybe we can get down the shape of his face or some other distinguishing characteristic.”

“Like the tattoo.”

The pulse in his throat jumped. “Yeah, like the tattoo.”

“Do you mind if we stop on the way for a coffee or something hot? Just a takeout.”

“Sorry.” He drummed the steering wheel with his thumbs. “I should’ve thought of that. You probably still need something warm to drink.”

As he swung into a U-turn, Elise said, “Hot chocolate.”

“Hot chocolate it is.”

“With whipped cream.”

“Of course.”

She bit her lip. “I suppose I should learn to like coffee like a grown-up, but there’s something so comforting about hot chocolate.”

“After the experience you had, you deserve comfort.” And protection. And whipped cream.

“I don’t have to go in like this, do I?” She yanked at the hem of her dress, which had hitched up around her thighs.

“I’m parking right out front. You can wait in the car.”

“One of the perks of riding with a cop.”

He parked the car illegally at the curb and hopped out. Even though the sun was rising on the busy street and people bustled in and out of the busy coffeehouse, Sean kept his focus on his car and Elise’s profile through the window.

She must’ve been terrified coming to in that trunk. Despite her soft, feminine appearance, she had to be made of steel to have waded into the San Francisco Bay to avoid her captor.

Holding a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and a coffee in the other, he nudged open the door and strode toward the car. Before he reached the door, Elise hopped out and took both cups from him.

“Which is which?”

“Yours is on the right.”

She bent over into the car to secure his coffee in the cup holder. As she did so, her skimpy dress slid up dangerously high.

She backed out of the car, one hand flattening the dress against her thighs. When she straightened up, she rolled her eyes. “This dress was a lot longer when I started out last night.”

“I believe you.” He rubbed her arms as if to erase her goose bumps. “You shouldn’t be out here without my jacket, anyway.”

“I couldn’t figure out how to roll down the window. Must be locked.” She licked her lips and gave a little shiver—more like a wiggle.

It was the sexiest combination of moves ever aimed at him, and she didn’t even mean it—didn’t mean it as a come-on anyway.

“Get back in the car and wrap your hands around that hot chocolate. I asked for extra whipped cream.”

She scurried around to the other side of the car and huddled in his jacket again, one hand darting out to grab her cup.

She slurped a sip through the lid and closed her eyes. “Perfect.”

“Are you up for a few more questions?”

Her slim fingers tightened around the cup, but she nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Have you been having trouble with anyone? Gotten into any arguments? Coworkers? Neighbors?”

She snorted. “You think someone put out a hit on me?”

“Just covering all bases, Elise. What kind of work do you do?”

“I’m a teacher, a kindergarten teacher.”

Her students must love her sweet sincerity. You couldn’t fool kids that age.

“No trouble at the school?”

“Everyone’s great, no politics on the playground.”

“What about your landlord?”

“Oscar? He travels a lot. We get along great. I pay my rent on time and don’t have any wild parties. He’s my friend’s brother. That’s how I met her, Courtney.”

“Ex-boyfriends? Ex-husbands?”

She sipped her cocoa—too long.

“No.” She sucked in a breath. “It’s beautiful.”

“What?” He jerked his head to the side.

“The bridge. I’ve been here for almost a year now, and it always takes my breath away when I get an unexpected view of it.”

Sean grunted.

“They thought I was a jumper, you know.”

He gripped the steering wheel. “Who?”

“The city workers who discovered me. They thought I’d jumped from the bridge. How crazy is that?”

Sean’s eye twitched and he dug his knuckles into his eye to stop it. “Crazy. Chances are you wouldn’t be walking out of the water if you had.”

“I know there have been a few survivors, but I don’t think they swam to shore on their own.” She snuggled deeper into his jacket. “What would make someone do that?”

Sean lifted his tight shoulders. “Only they know. Right or left?”

She blinked her eyes. “Keep going straight, and then make a right at the next signal.”

“So, no bad blood between you and anyone?”

“No. I...I don’t like to fight—typically.”

Except for her life.

She guided him the rest of the way to her house, and he parked on the street. Single-family homes lined the block, but he could tell several of them were conversions.

She shrugged off his jacket and shoved her feet into the paper slippers. “Thank you, Detective Brody. Will you call me to let me know what time to come down to the station? If you give me something to write on, I’ll jot down my home phone number. I guess my cell is gone.”

Did she really think he’d drop her curbside while some lunatic had her purse, her address and her keys?

“I’ll walk you up.”

She thrust her arms into the sleeves of his jacket and scrambled from the car, holding on to her cup.

She led him to the side of the house and through a gate onto a brick walkway. Holding up her finger, she dipped beside a planter. She raked through the dirt and pulled out a key.

He’d seen better hiding places, but at least she hadn’t stashed the key beneath the welcome mat.

She puckered her lips and blew on the key before inserting it into the dead bolt. It clicked.

The key scraped when she pulled it out of the lock, and Sean’s stomach knotted with the sound. He cinched her wrist as she reached for the doorknob.

“Wait. Me first.”

Her gaze darted to the door and back to his face. She dipped her chin and stumbled back.

He withdrew his weapon from his shoulder holster and edged open the door. Coiling his muscles, he stepped into Elise’s house.

The rising sun filtered through the slats of her blinds, throwing a vertical pattern across the deep blue carpet on the floor. A low light glowed beneath a whimsical lampshade painted with flowering vines. Colorful children’s books littered a coffee table in the shape of a piece of driftwood.

Sean eased out a slow breath and took another step into the inviting room. “Everything look okay in here?”

She peered around his body, nudging his arm with her head. “Looks fine to me.”

Something scratched at the sliding glass door, and Elise grabbed his biceps, digging her nails into the material of his shirt. She released a noisy sigh along with his arm and pointed to the door. “My mangy friend is looking for a handout.”

A gray-and-white-striped cat pawed at the door again, flicked his tail and walked away.

“How many rooms?”

“This one.” She waved an arm in front of her. “You can see the kitchen, and then there are two bedrooms and a bathroom down the hall. That door leads to the garage.”

“That would be a good place to start.” Sean swung open the door to the garage. A little hybrid crouched in the center of the garage floor and well-ordered shelves surrounded it. A washer and dryer were tucked in a corner. Not many places to hide here. He took a look under the car for the heck of it.

“Let’s have a look in the bedrooms just to be on the safe side.”

“I’m all for safe.”

She led the way down the short hallway, and Sean tried really hard to drag his gaze away from her swaying hips and the dress that seemed to be shrinking by the minute.

The doors to both bedrooms yawned open, and after a cursory look at the rooms and in the closets, Elise assured him all was well.

She traipsed down the hall to the bathroom at the end, calling over her shoulder. “It’s a good thing I have a small house.”

She tripped to a stop at the bathroom door and gasped. “Oh!”

With his heart thudding, Sean took two giant steps to join her. The room tilted and he slammed a hand against the doorjamb to stop the spinning.

Elise hooked a finger through his belt loop. “Wh-what does it mean?”

Sean’s eyes burned as he read the words on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick: Here we go again, Brody.

“I don’t know what it means.”

Sean ran the back of his hand across his mouth.

Oh, but he did. He knew exactly what it meant.

Chapter Three

Elise’s gaze edged from the lipstick words on her mirror to the cop’s reflection. Brody—that was his name. Why had someone scrawled it on her bathroom mirror along with a cryptic message?

She loosened her hold on his belt loop and crept closer to the vanity. Wedging her hands on the tile, she leaned toward the words on the glass.

“Don’t touch anything.”

“Oops!” She snatched her hands off the vanity. “Do you think he left fingerprints?”

“Maybe.”

The color had returned to Detective Brody’s face, but his expression remained hard and tight, alert. The tension vibrating from his body wrapped her in its coils, creating an ache in her shoulders.

She coughed. “It’s him, isn’t it? The man who abducted me.”

“He has, or at least had, your purse and your driver’s license. He found your house and used your key to get inside.”

His matter-of-fact words socked her in the gut. She sank to the edge of the tub and folded over to pin her forehead onto her knees.

Detective Brody crouched beside her, curling one warm hand around her bare calf. “You need to get your locks changed and get out of here for now.”

Poor small-town girl lost in the big city. Everyone back home had predicted she wouldn’t last six months here. She’d doubled that and would continue to prove them wrong.

Hot anger cascaded through her body, and she curled her hands into fists. She jerked her head up and pushed the hair out of her face. Time to take control of this situation.

She hadn’t been Ty’s victim back in Montana, and she didn’t plan to be anyone’s victim here in San Francisco despite what her family feared. It started with answers. It started with Brody.

She planted a finger on Detective Brody’s granitelike chest. “Why is this guy communicating with you? How does he even know you’re on this case?”

He blinked, his spiky lashes and dark eyes momentarily distracting her from her purpose.

Her finger drilled farther into his starched shirt. “I want some straight answers. Is this guy a serial killer? Has he been communicating with you?”

Brody shifted away from the accusatory finger and rose to his feet, smoothing imaginary wrinkles from his gray slacks. “The only serial killer we have at work right now in the city is a guy killing transients. You’re hardly his typical victim.”

She ground her teeth together. “I’m nobody’s victim. I got away, remember?”

“I do.” He raised his eyebrows.

She didn’t expect him to understand the vehemence behind her words, and she didn’t care what he thought about it. “So, why is this guy sending you messages via my bathroom mirror? How did he know you’d be here, in my house?”

“A lot of serial killers follow other cases.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and lifted his shoulders. “I’ve been a homicide detective in the city for several years. My name’s been in the papers a few times. He obviously knows who I am and correctly figured I’d be working this case.”

Her gaze slid to his forearm, where the sleeve of his shirt hid the bird tattoo. Then she looked into his dark eyes, shuttered and secretive. Weren’t the criminals supposed to be the ones with the secrets, not the cops?

“And he knew you’d be here?”

“Maybe not, but he assumed you’d tell the cops about his little message.” He pulled a cell phone from his pocket. “I’m going to call this in, get a tech down here to dust for fingerprints.”

His expression and tone told her she’d get nothing more out of him. She smacked her hand against the doorjamb. “And I’m going to get my locks changed.”

“You’re going to stay here, in this house?”

She wedged her hands on her hips. “Where would I go? I’m a kindergarten teacher, not an heiress like London Breck. I can’t afford to camp out in a hotel until you catch this guy... If you catch this guy.”

“How about staying with a friend?”

“Indefinitely?” She jerked her thumb at the ceiling. “I have Oscar.”

“Oscar?”

“Oscar Chu, my landlord.” She formed a gun with her fingers and pointed at him. “I also have my .22.”

“You have a gun?”

“It’s in my closet and it’s unloaded, but yeah I have a gun and I know how to use it.” A smile pulled at one side of his mouth, and Elise narrowed her eyes. “You find it funny that I have a handgun? I can assure you it’s all legal.”

“I find it...awesome.” He tilted his phone toward her. “Get someone out here to change your locks then, and I’ll get a tech to dust for fingerprints in case this guy got even more careless than writing a message on a mirror.”

She tiptoed down the hallway and ducked into her office to retrieve her laptop to look up locksmiths in the area.

“After you call the locksmith, why don’t you check around to see if anything is missing? I’ll take a look at your doors and windows.”

She tapped her computer and called out, “My laptop’s still here, and I don’t think you’re going to find any signs of a break-in. It’s pretty apparent he used my key to get in.”

“Look around anyway.”

She pulled open a drawer in her dining nook where she kept a camera and her MP3 player. Both were undisturbed. “I don’t think he was interested in stealing anything, just game playing.”

“Obviously, he used your key. I’m not checking your doors and windows to see how he got in.”

She returned to the bathroom door with the laptop tucked under one arm. “What for then?”

Brody balanced on the edge of her tub and peered at the small frosted window above it. “I’m just making sure he didn’t rig something so he can get back in once you change the locks.”

She shivered and hugged the computer to her chest. “I’m glad someone’s mind works that way.”

“Keep looking. Maybe he left something behind.” He jumped from the tub, surprisingly light on his feet for a big guy.

She settled the laptop on the kitchen table and did a search for locksmiths. She placed a call to one who worked weekends and made emergency calls.

While Brody continued checking the doors and windows, Elise rifled through her drawers and closets. She didn’t find anything amiss, but the thought of that maniac in her house gave her pause every once in a while, and she had to close her eyes to catch her breath.

She had no intention of telling her folks back home about this. She could picture the pinched faces and I-told-you-so’s already. They didn’t need to know. Of course, there’d be no hiding it if she wound up dead.

A figure moved across her window, and she gasped and crossed her hands over her heart. She crept closer and let out a long breath when she saw Brody poking around the plants by the sliding glass door.

She rapped on the glass, and he looked up. He’d tossed his tie over his shoulder and rolled up his shirt sleeves, his tattoo peeking from the cuff.

She wouldn’t mind seeing that sight out her window every morning.

She unlocked the window and shoved up the sash. Pressing her nose to the mesh screen, she called out, “Find anything weird?”