Page 17 of Be Very Quiet

Luca hadn’t been particularly successful in hiding his reaction to the flower, so even a mediocre detective would’ve picked up on his distress. Luca had a feeling Diego Torres was anything but average.

Since it looked like Rader was the perp, changes to his MO notwithstanding, Luca would need the cooperation of the detective to keep Liliana safe and finally bring Rader to justice.

“The woman I told you about who walked in on Rader killing her roommate . . . her name is Liliana.”

Torres sat back against the padded booth. “The flower wasn’t some random addition.”

“There’s more.”

Torres gave a resigned sigh and rubbed his forehead. Luca wondered if a headache was brewing. “What is it?”

“She now lives here in Miami Beach.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“You are here for her?”

“Yes.” Luca left out the part about her not wanting to see or have anything to do with him. Semantics. “My company will provide protection.”

“I checked them out after your message. Their reputation is stellar. I’m impressed.”

“Best in the world.”

Torres nodded. “You think we’re dealing with a modified Ted Rader?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. The differences bother me. The FBI worked up a profile for him, and he was very methodical. He’d grown up with an overbearing mother who ruled with an iron fist. She forced him to work on the corpses, and if they weren’t perfect, he was disciplined. Punishments ranged from being locked in the refrigerator or a casket, to putting makeup on himself and wearing it in public.”

“Yikes.” Torres grimaced. “Definitely not mother-of-the-year material.”

“No,” Luca agreed. “Routine mattered to him, and he was meticulous about it.” Luca shook his head. “Unless he was under a time crunch, I can’t see him skipping the step of sewing the eyes and mouth shut.” It was easy to figure out why he’d added the flower. Luca’s stomach rolled again.

“If it’s not Rader, it’s someone who studied his kills,” Torres noted. “As you said, the part about sewing facial features was left out of the media. The copycat might not know about it.”

“The victims are also an issue. I can’t see Rader switching to prostitutes.”

“Maybe they were easier pickings,” Torres suggested. “He doesn’t know the area, so he grabs someone who won’t be as quickly missed.”

Luca nodded. Plausible. “Look, I want you to do something for me, Torres. The information I gave you about Liliana was confidential and off the record. You need to keep any mention of her out of the investigation.” Torres opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to object, but Luca cut him off. “You would paint a gigantic target on her back.”

“Don’t you think one is already there? The killing happened close to her.”

“Could be a fluke,” Luca argued, though he didn’t believe it. “If the media gets wind of the connection, the press would bombard her. There is no reason for her to be exposed.” He’d had cases tank because of media leaks.

Torres looked as if he wanted to argue. Luca knew he was asking a lot of the detective. He’d been one once, and if someone had done the same to him, he would’ve struggled with the decision. If a woman’s life were at stake, it would’ve made the choice easier. Luca voiced as much.

Torres sighed. “Fine. I’ll keep it to myself—” Luca started to thank him, but Torres held up a hand. “For now. If something changes or it becomes necessary that the link is exposed, I’ll have to speak up.”

“Fair enough. All I ask is for a heads-up before you do.” Then he’d squire Liliana away from Miami, even if he had to do it with her kicking and screaming the entire way.

Torres’s phone buzzed. He looked at the screen. “I need to take this.” He slid out of the booth and retreated outside.

Luca checked his messages. Since it was officially a case—whether or not Liliana cooperated—he needed to talk to his bosses about having one or two coworkers come down to assist. Liliana might not like it, but she would be protected at all times until Rader was caught.

Luca glanced up as Torres reentered the diner, and his gut clenched. He tossed down enough cash to cover the mostly uneaten meals plus a tip and met Torres by the door, knowing there had been another murder.

Torres held up a hand as they hurried to his sedan. Luca was beginning to hate the gesture. “I can’t talk about it.”

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