Page 44 of So Twisted

“Should I send units?”

“Have a couple in the area, but don’t send them to the house until our call.”

“You got it.”

He hung up, and Faith grinned at Michael. “Oh, would you look at that? A thread.”

“It’s a damned thin one,” Michael said softly.

“But it’s there. And it’s tangible. So we’ll follow it.”

He sighed. “Okay. Let’s go check it out.”

The three of them cleared up their lunch and headed to their car. They drove in silence again, each brooding over their own private demons. Faith was excited at the latest development in the case, but she was on borrowed time now. Hanging up on the Boss wouldn’t delay anything.

This lead needed to pan out. They needed an answer now, or Faith would be shipped back home in a box and kept in a storage closet until the West case calmed down again.

On the other side of that coin, the longer she was out here, the more likely her name and face would show up on everyone’s television set. That would raise a whole host of issues Faith wasn’t prepared to deal with.

So focus on the one youareprepared to deal with. Find this killer.

Faith took a deep breath and looked through the windshield. She thought of the wolves at the Hawkins place, silently padding closer, their eyes boring into Faith’s soul.

Faith was coming for a wolf now, but that was all right. She’d encountered many dangerous creatures during her career and survived all of them. Besides, wolves were most dangerous in packs. This killer was a lone wolf, but Faith had her pack to help her, and despite her argument with Michael, he was clearly still on her side.

So let the wolf fight. Faith was ready for him.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

They reached Nathan Reed's home a half hour later. Reed lived in a lower-income area of Omaha in a dilapidated house surrounded by a chain link fence. Not surprisingly, Reed also had guard dogs. The agents only got within ten yards before two massive Rottweilers rushed to the fence, barking and snarling.

Turk bared his teeth and returned the sentiment, but Faith ruffled his fur and said, “Relax, boy. Let’s take this nice and easy.”

“How do you want to do this?” Michael asked. “There’s no way in but through the gate.”

“We’ll call Reed,” Faith said. “Go back to the car and put the lights on. Run the siren for a little bit too. We’ll see if we can draw him out.”

Michael sighed. “All right. I’m going to call those units in too. Even if we keep them waiting outside, I want backup ready in case he runs.”

“Go ahead.”

Faith waited with Turk while Michael left to do that. She could see movement from inside the house, and as soon as Michael switched on the lights and hit the siren, the curtain of one of the windows lifted, revealing a man’s face with a liberal coating of stubble.

A moment later, the door opened, and Nathan Reed stormed out. He was big, six-foot-two like Michael, but thirty pounds heavier with massive hands. He was a little pudgy around the middle, and his gray hair suggested he was a few years past his prime, but none of the victims were imposing physical specimens, so that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't capable of violence.

The furrow in his brow and the snarl in his voice suggested he was more than capable of hurting someone. “What the hell do you want? Turn that god damned siren off!”

“Nathan Reed?” Faith called.

“I don’t answer questions!” Nathan shouted back. “What are you doing here?”

Turk growled at him, and Nathan’s face changed. Faith was surprised to see it soften and hear something that sounded almost like affection. “Hey, boy. What’s going on with your mommy? Why’s she coming after me?”

“May we talk?” Faith called.

Nathan’s brow furrowed again, but he kept his eyes on Turk, and his tone was a little less surly when he said, “About what?”

“About why I’m here.”

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