Page 5 of The Broken Places

She walked around the front office, noting a sign in the window that saidLOT FOR SALEand had a phone number listed. She took a photo of it and continued around the corner just as she heard a car pulling into the lot behind her. The uniforms were here to relieve Sullivan.

The space behind the motel was a weedy plot of nothing. It wasn’t even strewn with garbage, which told her that this motel, in general, probably wasn’t well used by vagrants, at least not yet. Even so, she took a few minutes to wander around, looking for anything on the ground that might tell her a person or people had been there, but didn’t find a thing. The crunch of the gravel beneath her feet further served to calm her nerves.Good, that’s good. You’ve got this.And now that she’d had a moment to process the initial shock and horror of the scene, she could go back and at least pretend to be the professional she was supposed to be.

Lennon turned and ran solidly into a hard wall of man, then let out a surprised squeak. She jerked back, and hands gripped her elbows, steadying her. “Shit, sorry,” she breathed.

His grip tightened as though she might still topple over. “Whoa. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She shook her arms, and his hands dropped before she stepped away. The stranger peering down at her was tall and good looking and had theseeyesthat took her aback as much as had her head smacking into his broad shoulder.Bedroom eyes.The thought took herfurther off balance because she couldn’t remember ever once using that phrase, but also because he was looking at her like he was trying to read her mind, and she certainly didn’t want him to be privy to her first impression.

And there went her equilibrium, right out the door.

“Sir, this is a crime scene. I’m going to have to ask you to leave immediately.” Her tone was a tad harsh, but he’d surprised her. She hadn’t expected a civilian to interrupt her brief respite from death’s gruesomeness.

“I know it’s a crime scene,” he said. He looked off behind her at the weedy lot, his gaze flickering around and then back to her in a way that made her think he knew she’d been basically hiding. “Are you Inspector Lennon Gray?”

Hearing him use her name caused a small jerk of her head. “Yes. Who are you?”

His heavy gaze met hers, slight breeze rustling his dark wavy hair. “I’m Agent Ambrose Mars. I’m with the FBI, and I’m your new partner.”

CHAPTER THREE

New partner? FBI?She hadn’t been told the feds were getting involved in these cases. “When did this get decided? And why?”

He’d unclipped the badge he had hanging on his pocket and now held it up to her as though she were a suspect who’d demanded identification. “Just yesterday. You were off. Which, ah, you probably know.” He gave her a fleeting boyish smile. “Anyway, Lieutenant Byrd called thirty minutes ago and informed me about this call. I didn’t expect there to be another scene this soon.”

“No, neither did I.”

“Same pills? Same victim description?” He looked over his shoulder to the second floor, where police activity was increasing, and then turned back to her.

“Yes,” she said. “Was the bureau sent all available details regarding the two previous cases?”

“Yeah. I looked over the basics but haven’t had a chance to read them in depth.”

“Okay. Come on,” Lennon said, moving around him and heading for the stairs. Whoever this Ambrose Mars was, he was temporary as far as she was personally concerned. She’d speak to Lieutenant Byrd the minute she got back to the station and shake the guy. She’d been told she was going to get paired up with someone else as soon as possible, but she’d expected it would be one of the other inspectors she already felt comfortable with. She had no desire whatsoever to work with somestranger over others she alreadyknewhad her back, and was annoyed she hadn’t received a heads-up. As if she needed one more thing to make her feel less than competent. But regardless, if the FBI had sent him here and he was going to work this particular case, he’d need to see the scene before anything else. And maybe Teresa had some information by now too.

He followed her to the room, where two officers were now standing guard, greeted each of them, taking a moment to pull on booties and gloves, and then stepped inside, where Teresa was just setting her camera back on top of her case. She’d lifted the woman slightly, and Lennon could now clearly see the stab wounds on her chest and torso too. Her heart clenched. That look on her face.Jesus.What had she experienced in her final moments? No one should die violently, but clearly, her death hadn’t been quick. She’d cried. She’d screamed. She’d suffered.

“All three were stabbed, just like the others,” Teresa said. She looked up, her gaze hanging on Ambrose for a moment.

“Does it look like they did this to each other?” Lennon asked.

“It’s hard to say without an examination of the wounds, but I can’t imagine how it would work for three people to stab each other to death. Wouldn’t there be someone left standing?”

“Unless his or her injuries were so severe, they just lay down next to the others and died once it was all over.”

Teresa appeared to consider that for a moment and then shrugged. “Anyway, again, no murder weapons present. Whatever was used might have been stolen from the first two scenes, but all three? Also, with three people, you’d definitely need more than one weapon.” Her eyes moved back to Ambrose, who was looking around the room, a small frown hanging on his lips.

“Teresa Wong, this is Agent Ambrose Mars. He just got here yesterday.” She hadn’t even asked where he’d arrived from, but all that could wait. And didn’t matter to her anyway.

“Hi, Agent.” Teresa used her gloved wrist to push her glasses up her nose. “Welcome to the jungle.”

He gave her a small smile that held some confusion, as though he wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic or not, and then walked over to the desk where the unknown pills had been left. His spine seemed to straighten in some minute way as he stared down at them. “Do you recognize those?” Lennon asked.

He startled slightly and looked back at her as though he’d forgotten she was there. “Only from the two previous case files. These substances appear to be the same as what was found at the other scenes, yes?”

“Yes. That lavender color is unique. The lab will confirm but they’re most likely the same, which means they’re hallucinogens.”

Ambrose walked toward where Teresa was on the floor, taking samples from under the woman’s fingernails. “Defensive wounds?” he asked.

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