Page 20 of Deadly Pride

Liam pressed his eyes closed. He hated the names the media came up with for killers. In his opinion, it only fed into their ego. “We don’t know at this time.”

“I need to tell the office. They’ll want another reporter out here.” He hurried and rushed away.

Liam rubbed his hands roughly down his face. Who would be next?

It seemed as if the killer stayed on the sin of pride. How long until he moved to another alleged sin?

His gaze landed on Harper. Again, why put the two of them together?

Chapter Eight

Carl handed alarge envelope to the man standing in front of his desk. A man he’d done a great job of restructuring his face so he’d never be caught and trialed for murder. Unless he left fingerprints. “Wear gloves. In there are clues, think scavenger hunt, only there’s no prize.” He laughed. “You’ll figure out where to leave them. I’ll text the players the first clue. You have one hour to put those where they belong.”

“I could’ve done that.” Lucy plopped into a chair.

“You are used for different things. I’ve no one to kill today.”

“Pity.” She cleaned her fingernails with a small knife.

Carl sneered and turned away from her. The woman needed some lessons in acting like a lady. “Have you considered better clothes? Makeup? Manners?”

“Don’t need them in my line of work.”

With a sigh, he turned back to his follower. A man he knew would do his bidding. “Understand?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll have it done quickly.” He nodded and backed from the room.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. “Look at me in disgust again, and I’ll carve out your eyes. I’ve killed the one signing the checks before.”

“I should’ve done a better job of vetting you.” He stood and stood in front of the office window overlooking the parking lot.

His next appointment, a woman wanting bags removed from under her eyes, strolled toward the door. Time to beautify another. He picked up his phone and sent another text, then turned to Lucy. “Find something to leave at the last clue sight. Something that has nothing to do with pride.”

“Anything?” Her eyes widened. “What about something related to the last clue. What is it?”

He bent down and whispered in her ear.

~

Harper scowled at her phone. “I hope you’re wearing your walking shoes.”

Liam glanced up. “What?”

“The text.” She held up her phone. “Didn’t you get one?”

“I’ve got my sound turned down.” He stared at his screen. “This is a weird one. I imagine we’ll get another soon explaining what this one means.”

A few minutes later, the next one came through. “What lies behind the red door? A clue perhaps? You have twenty minutes before it disappears.”

Red door?

“You know this place better than I do. Where do we go?” Liam grabbed his suit jacket.

“I don’t know if he means Oakdale, Harrington, or some other place.” She grabbed her weapon, knocking her phone off her desk and onto the floor. She snatched it and slid it into her pocket. “But, since we have so little time, I’m assuming Oakdale. Only one place has a red door, and that is the Chinese buffet.”

She really hoped it wasn’t a dead end. She’d follow any clue the perp left if it gave her hope of a conclusion to all this. The longer he played the game, the more chances of him making a mistake.

As they drove, Liam cut her a sideways glance. “Have you been thinking on why we were thrown together?”

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