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But that had just been a dream A hot fantasy that followed hiers over the marks Felt the raised skin

"No dah hi his last lover, another cop at the precinct, just over a otten a woman’s scratch marks on his arms?

Cara

Chapter 4

The lady’s alibis checked out

Part of Todd was thrilled by that news--a very, very large part--because the confirame for him

Another part was seriously pissed, and worried If Cara wasn’t the killer, then the murderer had set her up No other explanation jived for hiaht It had been two days since he’d last seen Cara, since he’d gotten to touch those perfect lips and feel her soft tongue stroke against his

He’d stayed away, knowing he had to keep his distance until he verified her alibis for thehe particularly wanted co his life

But the lady had been cleared now

According to Colin, five waitresses and two bartenders had placed Cara at Paradise Found right at the time of the first two kills

And one very nosy, sharp-eyed, elderly neighbor had backed up her story about being ho the time of House’s murder

Ms Murphy, for by the dozens of canvases in her den--had cheerfully told hiht after five In that bright red car of hers Went in, stayed in" A beetled frown had pulled down her white brows "I thought a h followed, "no one caht"

"So she was home from a little after five until ten pm?" He’d asked

She’d jerked her thuray paint "I was on the porch, trying a new technique I call it night painting…"

"Uh, huh"

"I was there till ers, stained with paint, had floated in the air between them "Cara never left I’d swear my life on it" The lady had stuck with that story even after repeated questioning from both him and Colin

The desk clerk had also been shown a photo lineup The guy had stared at the line of six blondes, and shaken his head "I-I don’t think I s-see her" His words had been husky, the beer still strong on his breath

"You don’t think or you know she’s not there?" Colin had pressed

The bleary eyes had cleared for a moment "She ain’t there"

So, now, it appeared that Cara was in the clear

Absolutely perfect

A car horn sounded nearby--close enough to have Todd jerking in his seat He was parked outside Paradise Found He swore softly as he realized he’d been sitting in the car, staring at absolutely nothing, for the last ten minutes

But, well, he had a few probleht he was a ht

He also had to catch a killer

His life was damn busy these days

With a harsh exhalation of air, Todd finally left his car His weapon pressed into his back as he walked, and as he drew closer to the dark doors of the club, he couldn’t help but remember his last trip to the bar

He’d had the unfortunate pleasure of e bastard Since Colin had been the one to verify Cara’s alibis at Paradise Found, it had been nearly two months since Todd’s last, veryforward to seeing Niol again

How the hell had he done it? Todd wondered How had the bastardto er? That day, when he and his partner had cootten out of control, fast

One uy’s shoulder The next, he’d found hi on top of a shattered table

He’d known there was souy Every nerve in his body had gone on alert and the hair on his nape had risen

That fierce awareness happened to him sometimes Usually, it happened when the shit was about to hit the fan When a perp was about to pull a gun or when all hell was seconds away fro loose

He liked to think of it as his body’s warning syste instinct Whatever it was, it had never led hi before

He hadn’t felt that response with Cara--at least, not at first But when he’d walked into her house and gotten closer to her, all his systeht his gut was telling him the woman was a killer Noell, noondered if his body was just trying to tell hier to his soul

"What the hell do you want, cop?" The snarl cauy who’d planted his body squarely in front of Todd’s path

Slanced up, way up Shit He knew the tattooed giant in front of hi the door the last time he’d paid a visit to Paradise Found "I want in," he said sih, and he nudged his sidekick, a short, dark, heavilyas he leaned in close to Todd

"Not our kind," the smaller one mumbled

What the hell? Todd pulled a twenty out of his pocket Shoved it at the giant jerk "Open the damn door"

A smirk The cash disappeared in a instant "Yer funeral, cop"

The doors opened The screauitar pierced his ears and the ruht

He paused on the threshold "Your boss in?"

"Your lucky night, "

And just what did that ht of a woolden hair

Cara

He stepped into Paradise, and heard the crackle of laughter behind hi with bodies Men, women Most of ’em looked like they were anywhere fro in shadows So sex on the dance floor

As he walked toward the bar, his nostrils twitched as he caught a fah crime scenes to know that coppery stench Where was--

The man to the left of him lifted his head Blood strea her head just a fraction Todd saw the marks on her then Two deep holes in the side of her neck<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>