Page 329 of Icy Cold Death

For.

Sure.

The woman had two babysitters on this one.

Well, now that he met the woman, and she seemed pretty normal—by their standards, he was ready.

“Update me,” Julian said since they seemed to have time. “And tell me what you’re waiting for,” he added.

She pointed as a distraught woman rushed into the ER, and then, she explained.

“That’s Brooklyn Ashe. She is banging our lead suspect. He’s given each victim a calendar, and she was supposed to meet him Monday. Only, someone texted her girlfriend and told her that her woman was cheating on her and the hookup was tonight.”

He blinked.

“Uh, why would a guy killing women do that?” he asked. “That is off. That sounds more like someone is trying to frame him.”

BINGO.

Tori held out her hand.

Immediately, Bishop and Genesis pulled money out of their pockets and passed it off to Tori.

She smiled and took it.

“And that’s what I said, Jules. None of this is fitting. Three of his mistresses go MIA this past summer. They turn up, and no one flinches because they are minor players in this.”

He’s listening.

“Then, the man’s wife goes missing. She’s never found. Right after she goes MIA, another mistress dies. Then, this with Jennie Smithson. It is off. Something is way off base, and we aren’t quite sure why, but I think someone knew we were investigating, and is trying to throw the man under the bus. They want the heat on the fire.”

“A disgruntled lover? Partner? Husband? Spouse?” he asked, rattling them all off.”

“That’s what I think. Someone is stirring the pot, trying to make us dig into this man’s life.”

Julian trusted his wife’s assessment. She was rarely off and if her gut said it was the direction, they were following it.

“And you haven’t found the wife?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“But, if he did kill her, maybe he wouldn’t dump her with the others. Genesis thinks he might have eliminated the body so he can have her declared dead. Then, he’s rich.”

He agreed.

“I’d put her someplace secure. The others, if they couldn’t be connected to me, I’d just ditch them. The water would kill any DNA, and I’d be scot-free.”

Genesis laughed.

“See? I like him.”

Tori snorted.

“He can’t fire you, Genesis. He knows I run this shitshow off the record.”

Julian kissed his wife on the cheek.

“A happy wife…”

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