The Kill

CHAPTER 10

Olivia hated autopsies, but she’d always held her own in the few she had observed. Sheer will to control her emotions enabled her to maintain a calm demeanor while watching the coroner take apart and put back together a dead human body.

She’d never witnessed the autopsy of a child, but she would remain a professional. A scientist. She could do this for Jillian Reynolds and Missy and all the victims of whom the press now called The Seattle Slayer.

She took a deep breath and glanced at Zack. He stared straight ahead at the door through which the coroner would emerge. His face was all hard angles and rigid, as if he, too, were waging an internal battle.

If a man as strong and experienced as Zack Travis was having a difficult time in this room, how could she hope to observe, to be impartial?

The doors opened and a small, elderly Asian man wheeled in a stainless steel gurney. He was followed by an attractive woman, tall, with dark hair pulled back in a band. The woman nodded at Zack and gave him a half-smile. It was easier for Olivia to watch that exchange and wonder how they knew each other than it was for her to look at the white sheet draped over the small body.

The woman started laying out instruments while the man wrote in a log. The doors opened again, and a rotund, white-haired man who reminded Olivia of a short Santa Claus burst in, nodding to his staff as he crossed over to where she and Zack stood.

“Detective Travis.” They shook hands. Even without smiling, the coroner looked jovial.

“Dr. Sparks, this is Agent St. Martin with the FBI.”

Dr. Sparks took her small hand in both of his. “We’ll get started here in a moment.” He looked from her to Zack. “This isn’t a pretty sight. We cleaned up the body the best we could-I sent what we’ve already collected to Doug at the lab-but the victim is in an advanced stage of decomposition.”

“Let’s get it over with,” Zack said.

Olivia wanted to stay. She wanted to see what the bastard had done to Jillian Reynolds. But as soon as Dr. Sparks removed the sheet, she had to leave.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled to Zack and ran out the door.

She was almost outside the building when Zack caught up with her. “Olivia.”

She couldn’t look at him. What must he think of her? Wholly unprofessional. But if she had stayed, she wouldn’t have been able to control her reaction, and that was simply unacceptable.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated.

He clasped her shoulder, forcing her to face him. She thought she’d see frustration or anger or something in his eyes that showed he knew she was a fraud.

Instead, she saw deep compassion.

“Liv,” he said softly, using her nickname. “It’s okay. I understand. Take a walk. I’ll meet you right here in an hour.”

She nodded, afraid that if she spoke her voice would crack.

She left the building and walked briskly along the street busy with noontime traffic. All she wanted was to get away from the building, get away from death.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think about what Jillian now looks like.

For a brief moment she wondered if the body would haunt her for the rest of her life. How could she be a scientist-a witness to many autopsies, dead bodies, and horrid crime-scene photos-yet be derailed by one victim?

Who am I? Who have I become?

Minutes later, she slowed her pace, not knowing how far she’d walked. She stood near a fountain outside a building she suspected was City Hall. Lunchtime walkers in skirts and tennis shoes strolled briskly around her in pairs or threesomes, chatting while burning calories. It was a lovely autumn day. Perfect, warm with a light breeze and clear blue skies.

A perfect day? Hardly. A nine-year-old girl lay in a cold autopsy room down the block. A child who would never again enjoy an autumn day.

She sat on a bench in front of the fountain and stared at the dancing water.

She’d been five when Missy had been killed, and she remembered her feelings of fear and helplessness more than any details of the actual abduction.

The tattoo. She’d never forget the tattoo. The blue eagle still gave her nightmares, the way it rippled under Hall’s muscles, the way it bulged as if about to take flight…

Not Hall. Someone else. Another killer. Had Hall known him? It seemed far too much of a coincidence that Hall’s truck had been used and that he had the same tattoo as Missy’s killer. A blue eagle wasn’t uncommon, but still-two young men in the same town connected through Hall’s truck? She wasn’t convinced that Hall hadn’t been involved-it was his truck, that evidence was certain. She’d reread the police report on Missy’s murder several times since Hall was released. Missy’s blood was definitely found in his truck. Carpet fibers from his floor mats were on her clothing.

Missy had been there. But had Hall been involved in her kidnapping? Or was he the victim of circumstance?

Her cell phone melody startled her and she groped in her purse for the phone. Greg.

“Hi. Everything okay?” she asked.

“I got the DNA sample. Thanks for putting it on a plane; it gave us another day. I’ll start the tests tonight. It’ll take a couple of days, but I’ll get you the results as soon as possible.”

Most people who watched television thought they understood DNA profiling, but in truth it was a complicated and time-consuming process. Large portions of a single person’s DNA are actually the same as every other person’s DNA simply because they are human beings. But certain fragments of DNA are unique to each individual, and those are what scientists needed to build a unique genetic profile.

But the genetic profile was only one small, though important, step. They still needed a suspect with whom to compare the profile.

“Run them against any DNA profiles from those old cases,” she said. They had run the DNA profile from Missy’s case against known offenders in CODIS as soon as they got it two weeks ago, but there were no matches. The guy had never been put into the system. But while Olivia was out in Seattle, Greg was working his own contacts to see if there were any other profiles created at the local level that hadn’t, for one reason or another, been input into CODIS.

“I’d planned to.”

“It’ll just be one more confirmation when we finally find him. I don’t want him getting off.”

“I know my job, Olivia.”

Greg sounded irritated. “I’m sorry,” she said, feeling guilty all over again that she’d put him in this position.

He sighed. “Be careful, Liv, okay? I’m worried about you.”

“I know you are, but so far it’s going okay. Chief Pierson didn’t bat an eye when I walked in yesterday. And I’m working directly with the detective in charge. Another body has been found, three months old.” She gave Greg the brief summary of Jillian Reynolds’s disappearance and discovery. “It’s probably the same guy. Detective Travis is in the autopsy right now.”

“How’s the lab there? Competent?”

“Very. There’s a state crime lab, but Seattle has its own lab as well and they’ve prioritized this case. I checked it out yesterday and they haven’t neglected anything that I could see.” Her phone beeped and she glanced at the caller-ID window, not recognizing the number but noting a Seattle area code. Was Zack already done with the autopsy? “I have to go, Greg. I’ll check in when I have news.”

“Be careful,” he repeated, then hung up.

“Olivia St. Martin,” she answered.

“Liv! It’s Miranda.”

Her heart quickened. Why would Miranda be calling her? Did she know she was in Seattle?

“Miranda-this is a surprise.”

“Quinn and I just got back from our belated honeymoon and heard about Hall being released. I’m so sorry.”

Olivia’s mind processed the information. That’s right. Their honeymoon had been cut short last June when Quinn had been called out on a critical investigation. She’d worked some of the blood evidence in the lab for him in a multistate shooting spree. Olivia vaguely remembered reading Miranda’s e-mail about them heading to the Caribbean a couple of weeks ago.

She tensed. Quinn Peterson was assigned to the FBI’s Seattle office. But he couldn’t possibly know she was here. Could he? Would Chief Pierson have called to verify her credentials with the local field office, instead of relying on Greg’s phone call and contact information? She didn’t think so; he’d appeared cordial and seemed to believe every word she said.

“Liv? You there?”

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Yes, sorry, I was in the middle of something.” Lying. To her best friend. Her empty stomach felt queasy. It was one thing to ask Greg to break the rules for her; it was another to put Quinn Peterson in the position of having to lie to his boss.

“Sorry to bother you, I’m sure you’re busy, but I had to call and make sure you were okay. Quinn said Hall’s attorney challenged the DNA and proved Hall hadn’t, um…” Miranda’s voice trailed off.

“No, he didn’t rape Missy.”

Olivia had a strong urge to tell Miranda where she was and what she was doing. She was in over her head. Intensely loyal, Miranda would keep her secret.

“I’m so sorry,” Miranda repeated. “Do the police have any leads? What’s the FBI doing?”

Her questions were to be expected, but Olivia didn’t know how to answer. “Um, I don’t know.”

“Is the FBI doing what?” Olivia heard Quinn say in the background.

He was there. There was no way Olivia could talk about her activities now. And it wasn’t fair to ask Miranda to keep such a secret from her husband, an FBI agent. No, that would be putting her in a compromising position, and the last thing Olivia wanted was to come between Quinn and Miranda. Miranda had been through so much adversity in her life, she deserved happiness with a man who so obviously loved her.

“Thanks for calling,” Olivia said. “I appreciate your concern. But I’m okay. Really.”

“Have you spoken with the police in California? Do they have any other leads?”

“I spoke with Hamilton Craig, the attorney who prosecuted Hall. He’s of course reopening the case. But it’s cold. I don’t think they have the resources to pursue it.” She shifted on her feet, relieved Miranda couldn’t see her. She’d know she wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“Ask about…” Quinn’s voice cut out in the background.

“Quinn wants to know if the DNA from Missy’s case was put into CODIS now that it’s an active case and if he can do anything-hell, let me put him on and you two can talk shop.”

“No, really,” Olivia said quickly, “I have to get back to work. I trust the people working the case, but it’s cold and I’ve accepted that.”

“But-”

“I’ll call you later, when things are less hectic.”

“O-kay,” Miranda said slowly. “Take care of yourself. And Liv-”

“What?”

“I love you.”

The room was too cold. A deep silence permeated the atmosphere, as if the building itself were holding its breath, interrupted only by the clink of metal instruments on a metal tray.

Zack felt alternately ill and enraged during the autopsy of Jillian Reynolds. He watched without comment, his jaw tight. He’d attended many autopsies-never feeling completely comfortable, but it was part of the job and he did it without complaint. He’d never get used to the smell, but he’d normally banter with the pathologist and feign interest in what the old coot was doing.

Not now. Not with the little girl. No one spoke, not Zack, not Doc Sparks, and not his assistants.

Time dragged, but only seventy minutes had passed from beginning to end and Zack had everything he needed. Cause of death: multiple stabbings in the chest and abdomen. Death had blessedly come quickly, but not before the sexual assault.

Zack had never wanted a killer more than this one.

They had one bit of good news: a possible DNA sample. No semen, but three pubic hairs with nubs. There was no way of knowing if they had degraded to the point where the DNA was unrecognizable, but it was at least something to work with. He told Sparks that Doug Cohn would send someone over to pick them up once he had them prepared for transportation.

He hoped Olivia’s ex-husband was the good guy she seemed to think he was and wouldn’t balk at rushing another set of tests. He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to make him an ex-husband.

“Doc Sparks, were there any marks on her right forearm, like in the Benedict and Davidson cases?”

“There’s not enough left of the skin and muscle tissue to tell. The abrasions in the other cases were shallow. There’s just no way of knowing if the killer left the same marks on this victim. But I did confirm that her hair was cut. I’ll write that up in the report.”

“Thanks.”

As Doc Sparks cleaned up, Zack left the autopsy room. He didn’t find Olivia in the lobby. He ran a hand over his rough face and realized he’d neglected to shave this morning, a common occurrence, especially when he worked a difficult case.

He wished he could have said something more to Olivia to let her know that it was okay that she hadn’t stayed. The pain in her eyes was unmistakable, before she got herself under control. There was no way he could blame her for her reaction, yet Olivia had such a strong backbone he was surprised she hadn’t stood her ground just to prove to him that she was a tough cop.

That alone intrigued him. There was definitely more to Olivia St. Martin than a pretty face and sharp intellect.

Stop it, Zack. No sense trying to figure out Superagent. She made it perfectly clear with her body language that she didn’t want anyone to get close to her. But he had to admit she was growing on him. There was so much pent-up energy in that petite body of hers; she rippled with it. He doubted she even noticed the way she constantly tucked her hair behind her ears, pulled on her lobes, or fidgeted with the single ring on her right hand.

Where was she? He was a little worried. Not that she couldn’t take care of herself. He glanced at his watch. He’d give her five minutes, then try to find her. She could simply be in the ladies’ room.

Movement from the front of the building caught Zack’s attention, and he looked at the double glass doors that led outside. Olivia St. Martin opened one side and stepped through. She blinked, adjusting to the artificial light. Her skin was pale. Too pale. Her hand brushed against her ear, tucking her hair behind it, though immediately a few strands fell forward. As she saw him across the lobby, she straightened and steeled her jaw, her face losing the softness she’d entered with.

“I apologize for my unprofessional behavior,” Olivia said as she approached. “I shouldn’t have left.”

The feelings simmering beneath Olivia’s cool mask were almost tangible, but she fought to prevent him from seeing anything. Why did she feel the need to keep such tight control over her emotions? If he didn’t release his frustration at the gym every morning, he’d be a bear all day. The job was demanding; you took release where you could get it.

“I told you I understood. You don’t have to put on a tough-girl act for me.” He paused, awkward. “I’ve known strong men to break down at the sight of a child on that table.”

She sighed and attempted a smile, but avoided his comment completely when she asked, “Did the exam yield anything useful?”

“Pubic hair. Doc Sparks is preparing it to be transported. Do you think your ex-husband would rush another sample?” He tried to make light of it, but Olivia was in no mood for humor.

She turned her back to him and started toward the exit. “I’ll call Greg and tell him to expect it. Have Doug send it to the same place. We have time to overnight it, because even if we put it on a plane again it wouldn’t get there until late tonight.” She paused, glanced at him. “It’s the same guy, though.” It wasn’t a question.

“No doubt.” Zack frowned and followed her out the door. He technically wasn’t on duty until four, but he’d already put in dozens of overtime hours, half of which he hadn’t logged.

He caught up with her in three strides. “What happened on the case you worked? Where the wrong guy was put in prison?”

She jerked, almost imperceptibly, but Zack was watching her very closely. Definite sore spot with her.

“The police found blood evidence in his truck that tied him to the girl’s murder,” she said momentarily. “He lied about his alibi-said he was at a bar, but when that didn’t hold water he changed his story to being home alone sleeping off a day of drinking. He was convicted largely on circumstantial evidence, but the evidence coupled with his lies to police-it was an easy call for the jury.” She rounded the corner toward where he’d parked after picking her up from her hotel.

“And then?”

“He got an attorney who learned there was a DNA sample from the killer and had his compared, which proved he hadn’t…” She stopped talking but refused to look at him as she strode down the sidewalk. She cleared her throat. “He didn’t rape the victim.”

“And they let him out? Just like that?”

“The D.A. realized that their case was compromised by the new evidence. He may have been involved, but the remaining evidence was circumstantial. There was nothing that proved he killed her.”

“Why hadn’t the DNA been compared earlier? That’s standard procedure.”

“It’s an old case.”

Old case? How old? For at least the last ten years, longer in many places, DNA testing had been commonplace. Zack glanced at her profile as they crossed the street to where he’d parked his police-issue sedan. On the surface she looked young. He’d thought thirty or so when he first saw her. Soft, delicate skin, shiny hair, slender curvy frame. But now he noticed fine wrinkles around her eyes, a slight weariness to her expression. The way she held herself showed a maturity that most women never learned to possess. She must be older than he thought. Thirty-five? Older? Maybe the case was the first she’d worked on. She’d blown it, took it personally, was on a vendetta-

“You’re not going to play vigilante, are you? Trying to right some wrong you think you did with the evidence in that old case? Because I’m not going to sit back and let the Feds screw up this investigation. I want this guy. Bad. But I want him by the book. I don’t want the bastard to walk because of a tainted investigation.”

She abruptly stopped walking and turned to him, her hands fisted at her sides. Her entire body reverberated in restrained anger. “This murderer has eluded justice for more than thirty years; I will do nothing to jeopardize a conviction. No one wants this killer more than me, Detective Travis. I’m sorry you have a problem with the FBI, but don’t take it out on me!”

She stormed off, stopping only when she reached his car.

Oh, yeah. Something was definitely going on. And Zack would damn well find out what it was.

Olivia didn’t know what had gotten into her. She never lashed out in anger. But her entire body felt like a tightly wound coil, ready to spring, shooting her emotions in all directions.

It had to be seeing Jillian Reynolds on the table. Just for a moment, but it had unnerved her. She had thought-for a split second-it was Missy lying there. About to be cut open by the coroner.

Then talking to Miranda-lying to her best friend-and knowing she and Quinn were in town. Why’d the killer have to strike in Seattle? The one place she actually had friends? She wouldn’t be surprised if Miranda hadn’t believed her when she said she was fine. After all, she was the world’s worst liar. Even over the phone.

She hated the deception. She wanted to tell Zack the truth. But if she did, there was no way he’d let her be a part of the investigation. He might even call Rick Stockton and have her fired. It would be within his rights. She’d misrepresented herself, misrepresented her assignment, and if this precarious house of cards fell before they found the killer-

No. She couldn’t think that way. They would find him. They had to.

Feelings of responsibility and remorse squeezed her soul until she could barely breathe. If it hadn’t been for her testimony thirty-four years ago, the police wouldn’t have closed the case. And maybe, just maybe, the real killer would have been caught.