All this talking after days of ignoring him.
He wasn’t stupid. Soren had to be aware that I’d done it on purpose and now I was suddenly acting like nothing was wrong.
Was he going to let it go, or was he going to bring it up when I least expected it?
It’s been a long time since I’ve come across someone I couldn’t read and it had my thoughts spinning constantly.
Always questioning what he was thinking – what he was going to do or say. I could take a guess, but I honestly had no idea which choice he’d make and it made me feel like I was losing control.
Glancing over my shoulder as I merged, I used that as an excuse to study his face, but Soren was scrolling through the pictures Garcia had sent me.
I could just ask what he was thinking, but that would show interest.
“This might be my first serial killer, but it’s not my first dead body,” Soren told me. “I’m sure it will be fine.”
Well…at least one of us would be okay.
CHAPTER 20
Frankie
Melides State Parkwas northwest of Acheron city and ran along the west coast. The park had cliffs overlooking the ocean which made it popular for people looking to dump things they didn’t want found.
A lot of suicides happened here too and almost all of them were successful thanks to the height of Melides Cliffs. It wasn’t necessarily because of the rocks at the bottom either, but because of the river bar at the mouth of the Achelous River.
That whole area was very dangerous due to the rough currents and treacherous waters where the river met the ocean. Crossing this bar was actually so dangerous that sailors had nicknamed it the Graveyard of the Pacific.
The coastline may be dangerous but the state park itself wasn’t. As long as people stuck to the trails and the viewing areas they’d be fine. The odds of an accident happening was really low based on the number of visitors, even in the summer.
Despite how many came here to hike, no one has died from a bear encounter since the 70s. Black bears were pretty common,but that was about it. Grizzly bears did show up on occasion but it was really rare.
Other than that, the only dangers were human.
I looked up at the trees surrounding the relatively empty parking lot. It was a bright, sunny day but it wasn’t too hot. It was barely 80 degrees per my smart watch and it felt even cooler thanks to the wind.
Shrugging my motorcycle jacket on to hide my gun hanging from my leather harness, I checked the pockets to make sure I had everything I needed.
Soren closed the passenger side door and slipped his backpack on. I didn’t know why he needed a whole backpack, but I didn’t ask.
With his background, it was probably just a habit. Something he needed to feel in control and comfortable in a new area or situation.
He pulled on a black baseball cap and came around to join me. With the hat and no glasses, he looked like a completely different person. I really liked how he looked with his glasses, but this ‘incognito celebrity’ look of his was insanely attractive.
Why were all his shirts so tight? Was that on purpose? It almost felt like he was hoping I’d look at his bulging arm muscles every time he moved.
It was working too. I kept catching myself staring at him out of the corner of my eye.
I forced myself to study the parking lot instead of my rookie, annoyed with myself. I really couldn’t afford to be distracted right now.
Not at a crime scene.
At least it looked like the cops had blocked off the parking lot from public entry, but there weren’t that many people here. Just the forensics vehicles and a few patrol cars.
“Seems like they’ve already secured the scene,” I murmured as I shielded my eyes from the sun to get a good look at the area. “Do you know what happens at a crime scene, Hart?”
He fell into step beside me and we headed toward the entrance to the park where two officers were standing guard. “They secure the scene. Search for evidence. Then document and gather that evidence to identify and prosecute the perpetrator.”
“Perfect.” I gave him an encouraging smile. “What does that include?”