Page 13 of Crossing Lines

Sam hadn’t thought about it that way.

Mick continued, “And the secret you kept was a doozy. Was she mad about that?”

They both stared into their drinks, thinking about the little gift Mayor Dupont had given Thorne before his death. A knife that could put Sam and Mick in a precarious position because of something that had happened in their past. Thorne had threatened to do just that, which was another reason Sam wanted him to stay in jail.

Sam pulled on his beer as he thought about that. Things had seemed a little off after he’d told Jo about the knife, but not for long. And Mick was right, the knife was a big deal. And Jo had a right to her privacy, no matter how good a friendship they had. But even though the reason was personal, it involved an investigation. Maybe Sam was more hurt that Jo didn’t think enough of his investigative skills to ask him for help sooner.

So maybe his feelings weren’t hurt because she’d lied but because she didn’t need his help enough to come clean and admit her real reason for being here. “I don’t know. Her reason is a bit of a professional breach too. But you’re right, I might be making something out of nothing.”

“Ya think?” Mick patted him on the back. “Everything will turn out fine. You’ll see.”

Sam frowned. “Maybe not everything.”

Mick glanced over at Sam’s dire tone. “Uh oh. That sounds serious.”

Sam told him about Charlie Bascomb’s visit. “And to top things off, the guy is Beryl Thorne’s uncle.”

Mick raised a brow. “That’s interesting.”

“Beryl says she knows nothing about it. He and Thorne got along, so maybe Thorne got in touch with him.”

Mick looked at Sam out of the corner of his eye. “And you believe her.”

Sam shrugged. “When she was at my cabin the other night, she seemed quite concerned for her safety if Thorne got out.”

Mick’s eyes narrowed. “Wait. She was at your cabin? Is there something…”

“No. Not my type. She might like that though. But I got a good read on her. She’s not the one angling to get her husband out.”

“Do you think this Bascomb guy has a chance at getting Thorne out?”

They were both silent, thinking about the knife. Did Thorne still have it? Would he use it as leverage to get out of jail? With any luck, Beryl had tossed his things out once he’d been jailed and the knife was gone for good.

Sam broke the silence. “Considering we found another buried victim this morning, he could make a good case that Thorne isn’t the one who killed those other girls. The evidence did always seem a little too easy. The drug case is solid though.”

“But that might not put him away for life.”

“Yeah, and he could cut a deal and turn evidence on someone higher up.”

Mick blew out a breath. “Do you think Kirsten Stillwell was killed by the same person who killed those girls five years ago? If she was, that means Thorne never was the killer, and by rights, he shouldn’t be in jail for that. Much as I hate to say it.”

“I’m not sure. There were a lot of differences, but maybe the killer changed his methods.” Sam shrugged. “Jo seemed to think that was possible, and she seems to be an expert.”

“She does?”

“Yeah, I’ll let her tell you about that.” Mick and Jo were close too, so maybe she’d want his help. And since she had one of Mick’s secrets, it was only fair he have one of hers. Sam glanced in the mirror on the wall behind the bar. Looking between the liquor bottles, he could see the activity in the bar behind him. It was a habit mostly, as he was trained to watch everything around for trouble. Tonight, though, the patrons seemed easygoing. People sat at tables, laughing and nursing drinks. Some had burgers, others the meatloaf special. A couple selected a tune on the old-fashioned jukebox in the corner.

“Hopefully the Stillwell case will turn out to be a regular homicide. I’m praying it’s not someone who will kill again. Besides, what are the odds of another serial killer case so soon?”

“This thing with Thorne, though, it worries me.” Mick stared into his glass as he moved it in slow circles, the amber liquid swirling around the ice cubes as they clinked against the side. “I don’t know what the odds of another serial killer turning up in town are, but if Bascomb does get Thorne out of jail, it might not be good for either of us.”

Chapter Nine

The killer now knew that one girl would never be enough. He’d held off for so long that now it was as if a floodgate had opened. That was okay though. No one was looking for him, and if he was lucky, no one would find out what he’d done.

He’d have to branch out. Surely someone would be looking for the last girl, and he couldn’t get too cocky about getting away with it. He needed to choose carefully, pick girls that very few would miss. Perhaps he’d been a little too hasty with this most recent one.

He should do more research, find out more about the target. Did she live alone? Have close friends that might panic if she didn’t answer a text the next day? Maybe he would take her in a different way than the redhead he’d chosen the other day.

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