Page 332 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

The task force had been hunting this guy for nearly two years. They’d finally managed to identify him, although it was pending confirmation.

They needed evidence that would remove any shadow of a doubt he was responsible for the disappearance of twelve women and the murder of at least seven of them. Five were still unaccounted for, but the task force had connected them to the case. To this man. When they were found, it would be twelve counts of first-degree murder.

This guy wouldn’t see freedom.

Addie could use religion as an angle. Hyper-religiosity was something she’d studied as part of her psychology degree. It could be a way to connect with him. Possibly worth a try.

Her phone buzzed with a notification.

Addie frowned. Hadn’t she turned off the app alerts for that TV channel? The notification was for a new show set to air in a few days titledWhere Are They Now?

Her chest tightened until she had to take a long inhale and push it out slowly. That story began in high school when she’d fallen into the popularity track that led to being crowned prom queen and a TV special that aired around Halloween every year…and ended with this career as an FBI profiler.

“Everything okay?”

She glanced at Benning.

“Seems like maybe that wasn’t good news.”

Addie shook her head. “I don’t like good news. It predisposes you to look for hope, and there isn’t any. Better to face reality instead.”

Her job held plenty of cold, ugly truth based on facts and what could be proven. Evidence. Convictions. People like William Benning were a puzzle she’d been trying to solve since homecoming, senior year. Three days later, she’d been taken to the hospital. She’d never gone back to school but instead finished with a private tutor her uncle had hired. As soon as she could, Addie left town. She’d barely been back since.

Just the idea of going there made her want to run out the door and not look back.

Benning said, “I find myself firmly rooted in reality also, though sometimes life can be sweet.”

The way he said it made Addie’s skin crawl.

“But the taste of anticipation…” He let that question hang.

“What is it like?”

“Lemons in summer. Sharpness and sweet in one touch of the tongue.”

She was about to jump out of the chair. Only the mutter in her ear of the agent listening kept her grounded. She was here to do her job. No way would she say the code phrase that would send the entire team swarming in the door. Even if going solo was the last thing she wanted. They could decide to do it anyway, but she needed him to talk more before that happened.

“You know that taste, don’t you, Addie?”

Noise erupted in her ear, but all she heard was a buzzing as everything melted around her. All she could hear and see was William Benning.

“You know what fear smells like.”

I know what your victims feel.

She’d been there. In that place where there was nothing but terror. Even though she hadn’t been alone, it still enveloped her. Sank into her skin. The fear had become part of every inch of who she was. It had crawled into her soul and left a stain she’d never been able to get rid of.

“Yes.” Addie fought the urge to shift in her seat. “I’ll admit I do.”

“It’s probably why you do this job.”

He knew who she was. Maybe he knew this entire encounter was an FBI attempt at tugging information from him. A long shot but deemed worth it. Now? Given the yelling in her earpiece, it seemed they’d decided to call it quits. Addie wasn’t going to get up and walk out. Not now that Benning seemed willing to reveal information.

“You’ve done your homework.”On the people chasing you.

Benning probably wanted to know who he was up against. That had to mean he considered them formidable enemies. Or he needed the information so he could continue to work on the assumption he was so far superior to them there was no contest.

Then there was the regard he had for other killers like him. Did he consider himself unique in the world or part of a brotherhood of sorts?

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