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PROLOGUE

Nashville, Tennessee

Monday, August 17, 10:30 pm

Heat and humidity punched up the bleach’s faint scent in the van’s dark interior It made his eyes water, his throat burn, and his palms itch under the latex

Scrubbers and fine brushes cleaned surfaces well enough, but disinfectants seeped into unseen crevices and obliterated pesky droplets of blood Trace evidence sowed the seeds of a cavalier man’s downfall

Perhaps the second dousing of cleaner had been overkill, but his belt-and-suspenders approach never failed him He had many faults, but carelessness was not one of them Better this temporary irritation than a lifetime in a jail cell

He rolled down the driver’s side , knowing next time he would rinse out the vehicle withHe turned his face toward the war the whoosh of cars on Interstates 24 and 40 was the ocean Sohts had been on secluded beaches

He had enjoyed traveling up and down the East Coast because he had decided long ago the women at the beach were the prettiest Accustomed to warm air and sunshine, they tended toward short skirts and revealing tops and, for the most part, stayed in shape

As much as he loved the ocean, he had sensed it was tietting older, but he had felt a pull toward Nashville, his ho dead Any friends he’d once had would not recognize hiorated the senses Challenged the mind

Nashville, Tennessee Music City Hootten that it was such an exciting, bustling city filled with beautiful ladies who did not disappoint

What Nashville lacked in beaches it made up for with out-of-the-way spots The houses he had found were all located at the end of winding roads on the tops of hills Their vieere a In the five weeks he had been back, he had enjoyed two Date Nights o for a date was efficient, but it also left a digital trail Old-school cruising left less evidence

Once he’d made his selection, it was off to his hilltop, where he and his Lady Loves had had all the tiet to know each other

Good relationships needed privacy They could not be rushed

Yes, sir He had enjoyed two very fine dates recently He should have been satisfied by now But instead he remained ravenous and craved a third date

He blinked and then rubbed his nose The sood First impressions mattered

The strong scent was due to two cleansings in as etting any younger And each day he realized how precious ti

He had parked his van in the shadow of an abandoned South Nashville warehouse in an area called the Bottom This industrial section was nestled between the Nashville airport and the juncture of Interstates 24 and 40 It was the workround of prostitutes and johns by night

A couple of miles north, the skyscrapers shi the tall buildings was Lower Broadhere red, white, and blue neon lights charmed tourists into cowboy boot shops, honky-tonks, and the Grand Ole Opry

Only a stone’s throw separated Nashville’s vibrant don from the Bottom, but the worlds could not have been more distant

In the Bottounfire replaced the sound of live e rather than s Lower Broadway, junkies needled heroin into exhausted veins while hookers slid into an endless supply of cars

This was his tenth trip to the Bottoed from day to day, week to week Always a fresh face Familiarity could make a man sloppy, but he approached each trip as if it were his first, careful to avoid aggressive pimps or the very rare cop

Most of the women down here had a hard, worn look that did not appeal He did not care for the experienced ones Too jaded Tough like gristle Not just any gal would do for Date Night