Page 70 of Among the Innocent

“Other than a headache I’m fine. Justine is sleeping. The doctor who worked on her says she’ll be okay.”

Sugar heard them talking and stepped from the room, her head bandaged. “I sure am glad to see you both.”

Leah gave Sugar a hug as they entered Justine’s room, while Sam remained at his post by the door.

Justine’s throat was bandaged. Spots of red had seeped through the white, a sharp contrast. Dalton clenched his fists. No matter what it took, he vowed to capture this cold-blooded psychopath and make him pay for the lives he’d destroyed.

“Doctor said there shouldn’t be any permanent damage to her vocal cords. But he warned her against trying to speak fora while. This creep didn’t take his time with her like he did the others, thankfully.” Sugar’s mouth twisted bitterly. “She’s been out since they brought her to the room. They gave her a sedative to make her more comfortable, and it could be hours before she’s awake.”

“What happened, Sugar?” In all the chaos surrounding the attack, Dalton hadn’t gotten her information. “Did you get a good look at the man?”

Sugar visibly shuddered. “I sure did. But he’d disguised his appearance. He wore sunglasses and a ball cap. And he was clean-shaven.”

Dalton raked a hand across the back of his neck. The beard was part of the killer’s disguise. John had been one step ahead of them at every turn. All his fault. He should have insisted on putting Justine in police protection instead of thinking she’d be safe at the station with Sam close.

“Justine’s parents are on their way in now.” Sugar’s voice sounded brittle, as if she were about to cry. “I told them I would watch out for her. I’m a former cop myself.”

Leah touched her arm. “I’m so sorry, Sugar.”

Justine’s parents rushed in. Her mother’s hand flew to her mouth once she had a good look at her daughter. “Oh, my baby.” Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

Sugar put her arm around her sister. “Justine is going to be all right. She’ll have a scar, but the doctor said he’ll send a plastic surgeon by later on to talk about options. She’s alive. That’s all that matters.”

“Who did this, Chief?” Justine’s father demanded. “Who hurt my little girl?”

“We believe it’s the same man who killed the two Amish girls.” Though it was of little comfort, Dalton assured himthere would be an officer stationed outside of Justine’s room at all times.

“Thank you. Please, find the person who did this. None of us will sleep until we know he’s in custody.”

His jaw flexed. “We will,” he said gruffly. “Apprehending this killer and getting him off the streets is our top priority.” He wasn’t just making empty promises. Dalton wouldn’t stop until they put an end to this man’s reign of terror once and for all. “If I have your permission, I’d like to dump Justine’s phone records and see if we can find anything that might help us with his name.”

Justine’s father readily agreed. “Whatever we can do to help.”

Dalton shook the man’s hand. “Thank you. We’ll stop by later to check on Justine. She’ll be in our prayers.” With a final glance at the unconscious young woman, he stepped out into the hall, where Sam waited. “No one goes in without being identified. That includes medical personnel as well.”

“You got it.”

He and Leah headed down in the elevator. “He gave Justine the same fake name as Eva,” Dalton said. “Probably Beth as well. So far, we haven’t been able to get any prints belonging to him, or at least none that have led to anything.”

They reached the ground floor and headed out into the fading day.

“But he’s definitely afraid of something,” Leah said. “Otherwise, why risk entering a police station in broad daylight to take out a witness?”

“Exactly.” Dalton hit the key fob to unlock Leah’s cruiser they’d used since his SUV had been destroyed. “We have permission to obtain Justine’s phone records. Let’s go back to the station and start on them.” With the killer becoming moreunhinged with each attack, and with Leah in his crosshairs, no one who stood in his way would be safe.

When they got to the station, CSI had finished their canvass and the building was locked up. Dalton unlocked the door and stepped inside with Leah.

“I’ll start the paperwork to get Justine’s phone records released to us,” Leah said.

He reached for Leah’s hand before she left. She slowly smiled, and some of his worry dissipated.

As much as he wanted to be out there on the streets involved in the search for the killer, if something happened to her because he wasn’t being diligent ... He sat down at his desk and stared at his laptop. Dalton couldn’t get the two murders in Wyoming out of his head. He looked over to where Leah worked and marveled how she still managed to look so poised despite the madness swirling around them.

Dalton brought up the information on the two women and tried to focus. Both were young—probably sixteen or seventeen, according to the medical examiner. They were dressed simply. No identification found on them. Due to the state of decomposition, a forensic facial artist had created molds of what he believed the two women looked like. So far, no one had come to identify them. After so many years, he wondered if they would forever remain Jane Doe 10 and 11.

“I have Justine’s records.” Leah stopped in the doorway. Dalton’s dark head was bent over his desk as he read something. She bit her bottom lip. So strong and courageous. He was fighting hard to bring the killer to justice for her. She had to stay strong. For him. “What do you have there?”

He held up one of the photos of the mold depicting Jane Doe 10. “Trying to figure out the connection between the two women in Wyoming and our killer.” Dalton dropped the photo and leaned back in his seat with a heavy sigh. “Did you find anything in the phone records?”

---