Page 45 of Love Me Fierce

“A part of me still hoped our murderer was already behind bars,” he says.

I ball my fist and tap it on my windowsill. “You’re not alone.”

He nods, but his face is grim. “Fisher’s case got wrapped so fast, though. We didn’t really get a chance to connect all the dots.”

“Maybe now we’ll have that opportunity.”

Zach huffs a tight sigh. “I want to know if he tampers with their cars. Gets them stranded, then pretends to help them.”

“Like what happened to Ava?”

He nods.

Ava’s stalker admitted to putting sugar into her gas tank, which caused her car to break down, making her vulnerable. Marin’s car had been low on gas but it started when we released it to her family. They gave the car to a charity auction soon after.

“What about Michelle’s car?” Zach asks.

Zach was only a few months into his career in law enforcement back then so he didn’t work her case. “Her car was never found.”

It was one of the reasons our investigation stalled early on. Without her vehicle, we couldn’t discount that Michelle took off on her own accord. Then she failed to show up for work on Monday morning.

Zach nods, a grim expression on his face. “What about the others?”

“Nichole-Renée didn’t have a car.” Plenty of people in San Francisco don’t, so it made sense that a broke pharmacy grad student wouldn’t either. “Jane Beasley’s was found in the lot behind thetavern where she worked, but I don’t know if it was assessed for tampering.” That case hadn’t landed on the fed’s radar back then, so all we have is what the very limited-budget Humboldt Ridge department gathered.

“Meaning my question’s gonna go unanswered.”

“It’d be worth asking Ballard if a vehicle is connected to this new case.”

Zach grips his steering wheel and stares through his windshield. “If we find a necklace down in that mine…”

“You want the honors?” I ask, hating the hope in my voice. “You and Hutch can rappel down there. I’ll supervise from above.”

“Fuck that,” he says. “I gave up my backcountry ranger badge years ago, remember?”

“But you grew up in Alaska.”

He scoffs. “Doesn’t mean I know shit about rock climbing.”

Well, it was worth a try.

“Have you set it up yet?” Zach asks.

“Hutch said tomorrow. Before we get that big storm. That work for you?”

Zach nods and we say goodbye. He cruises to the exit and pulls onto the highway.

My cell rings, making my pulse jump, probably thanks to the looming visit to York Springs Mine.

The IDOC caller ID that pops up fills me with dread.

“To accept this collect call from”—the automated system pauses to allow the pre-recorded voice of my ex speaking her name to fill the gap—“press one.”

I think about declining, then hit 1. The social worker who helped me get full custody of Logan when he was thirteen months old made it clear that being firm and direct with Teresa was the best policy.

“Hello?” I say.

“Everett?” Teresa’s unnaturally chipper tone sets my teeth on edge. “Hi! How are you?”

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