Page 20 of Blood and Sand

How does the killer know who she is? How does he know where she’s staying?

Fear and rage knotted inside me. He obviously had eyes on her, which caused my anxiety to increase even more. I took the stairs two at a time until I made it to the third floor and pounded on Dana’s hotel room door.

“Open the door, DeeDee! It’s me!”

The door flung open, and she jumped into my arms. I tightened my arms around her trembling frame before I kissed the top of her head. “It’s all right, baby. I’m here. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she mumbled against the crook of my neck. “A little frazzled, but I’m fine.”

“Where’s the letter?”

She removed herself from my arms and pointed to the floor in front of the bed, where a white piece of paper lay. The crime scene photos and files were in the same place, spread across the bed, which meant she hadn’t slept.

“You haven’t been asleep, have you?” I asked, trying to take her mind off what was happening, if possible. I yanked out a clear evidence bag and blue latex gloves from my back pocket, pulled the gloves on, then photographed the lined notebook paper. After taking the picture, I picked it up and read the messy cursive writing.

“You know how I get when there’s a case,” she muttered.

I did. She forgot to take care of herself. That was why I’d made sure to bring her something to eat. I should have forced her to come home with me. Being alone wasn’t safe.

“How long after I left did you get this?”

“Right before I called you. It was pushed under the door. I was working, and I had a breakthrough on the case.”

“So, you didn’t see who dropped it off?”

“No. I looked through the peephole after I heard it come under the door, but no one was there. At least, no one I could see.”

“You didn’t open the door and look out?”

She shook her head.

Good!

“Why do you think this is from the killer?”

“Because of how he signed it. The infinity symbol.”

My eyes shifted to the bottom of the letter, and sure enough, there was an infinity symbol instead of a signature.

“That’s the breakthrough I had on the case. The infinity symbol is in the bindings on all the victims, and that may be why he is binding them together.”

I sent a text to Amir about the note to get a search warrant so we could get the footage from the hotel and to meet me at my home by seven. The sun would be up, and that would give us enough time to get some sleep. After pressing send, I pushed the phone into my back pocket.

“Get your shit. You’re coming home.”

“Rey, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

I must’ve been hearing things. Not necessary? A freaking psycho had dropped off a letter in the early morning hours saying he missed her and how they’d be together in death, and she didn’t think coming home with me was necessary?

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, DeeDee.” I placed the letter back into the envelope it came in, put the envelope in the evidence bag, and placed it on the bed. I stalked over to the closet, pulled her suitcase out for her, and started throwing her shit in it since she was still stuck in the same spot. “You’ve lost your goddamn mind if you think I’m leaving you here after what just happened.”

“Rey, I’m not going with you.”

“It wasn’t a fucking request, Dana LaCroix.” I stopped tossing her shit into her suitcase and looked at her. “Get the rest of your shit, so we can go. Now!”

She gave me a hostile glare, which I returned. Rarely did I ever raise my voice at her, but I wasn’t budging on this. This wasn’t about our relationship. It was about her fucking safety. Whether she lived or died.

“Look, you can be pissed at me all you want. I don’t fucking care. You’re not staying here! Get your shit, like I said.”

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