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She handed hi theirover the files

Puller took a bite of steak and said, “The locals didn’t do a great job of processing the crime scene, and it doesn’t seem that the

FBI raised the bar much when they came on board”

Knox swirled the wine in her glass before taking a sip “Well, we know the high standards you have, Chief Puller”

“This isn’t a joke, Knox,” he retorted

She glanced up at hiotten, I’ve seen you process a crime scene, so it was actually a compliment And just for the record, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t biteI say”

Puller looked down “I’m sorry This case…”

“Is like no other, I get that, Puller So let’s keep digging and see e find”

“Okay,” Knox said a few minutes later “The best I can le, professional types in their late twenties”

“Which is very unusual for a serial o after are prostitutes, runaways, people with little family support, risky occupations”

“And no one to care when they go ,” added Knox “But your ories And she also doesn’t fit the young professional type”

“It could be a one-off,” suggested Puller “Or a wrong place, wrong ti alone in her Sunday best? And while she was older than the e”

“She was a beautiful woman, Puller”

He looked up to find Knox staring at him from the bed

“You’ve seen a picture of her?”

“Like I said, I didher right now”

“What do you mean?”

“You have your dad’s height but your mother’s eyes, nose, and cheekbones”

Puller glanced down at the file he was holding, evidently uncoht much about that”

“Because it reminded you of your loss?” said Knox

Puller didn’t answer her

She said, “It is a weird coincidence that a serial killer was operating barely thirtywomen and it doesn’t seem like the police here even made inquiries into whether your mother’s case was connected or not At the very least they should have done a little digging, particularly since they really had no other leads”

“It’s more than weird It’s inexcusable”

He reached over and snagged another file he’d brought into her room

“What’s that?” she asked, finishing her wine and pouring herself another glass

“CID file froent on the case is still alive maybe we should talk to him”

“You think he’ll re pertinent?”

“It’s e ask the questions”

They finished going over the files and then Puller ent Vincent DiRenzo He left a e for DiRenzo, rose, and stretched out his tall frame

“I think that’s all we can do tonight, Knox”

Knox had taken off the pullover, revealing a tight white tank top underneath She laid aside a file, sat up, freed her hair from the knot, tousled it, and looked at him