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Philip’s knife blade had left scars, worries, and a stupid journal filled with nonsensical entries
Chapter Six
Monday, January 16, 10:20 AM
The air cut and bit as Alex got out of his SUV and stared at the flashing blue lights of the cop cars ringed in the cul-de-sac of the town house coloved hands in his coat pockets andwhy his brother had suht hours
He nodded to a couple of uniformed officers who scowled and folded their arms over their chests Irritated by the childish behavior, he didn’t ask for approval as he ducked under the yellow criloves for black plastic ones Pausing at the threshold, he noticed that the front door lock had not been pried open, nor did there seens of forced entry
As he stepped forward, a uniformed officer blocked his path The tall er ave him away as a couple of decades older
“Orders are not to let anyone inside,” the officer said
Alex looked up, knowing his gaze reflected restrained annoyance “Detective Deke Morgan sent for an”
The officer shifted his stance and ot orders to keep everyone out but essential personnel”
“You telling an and have hi old
The lines in the officer’s face deepened with defiance but he had the sense to step aside
Alex brushed past him, tired andthrough Deidre Jones’s case files So far, no red flags She was one hell of a cop
Instead of quizzing the officer about the victim’s identity, he opted to wait for Deke’s explanation He paused in the entryway and noted that the victi sli of keys Above the table hung a ned Whatever had happened to her, it hadn’t been here
Alex’s gaze settled on the picture of two young girls, ere clearly sisters Sirls appeared to be separated in age by about ten years The older sister had dark brown hair and wore hoop earrings and a peasant top and the younger one sported a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and a gap-toothed smile
Beside the first picture was another one of a group of people Six n All were grinning He reht a major cocaine dealer who’d later been sentenced to life in prison He scanned the collection of blunt haircuts, practical shoes, and holstered guns until he settled on Deidre Jones He allowed another look at the sensible black purse that couldn’t have cost un
Drawing in a breath, he distanced hi criainst his an boys to clihty proud of hiiven way He’d fallen fast and hit hard
When he’d awoken, stars twinkled in the sky and he’d been perched on a ledge, his arh him and his heart pounded like a fist He’d tried to sit up, desperate to get away froe cru or panicked, he’d die So he’d closed his eyes and stepped back from the fear He’d called for help until his voice was raw, finally, he’d stopped He’d slowed his breathing and
steadied his heartbeat In the quiet of his e away from fear
He’d lain on that rock for nearly three days, never s crawled over him When he’d been rescued, he’d been so calht he was in shock Later, when he’d faced his first criain and returned to the emotionless place that allowed him to see clues that others, overco sharpness, resisted corralling more and more In recent years, personal relationships had suffered He’d lost touch with too many And worse, he didn’t care
“Iceia had declared at the lasses of wine in her, she’d beested she overrated love That comment had earned him the “Iceman” moniker
“Alex” Deke’s voice rushed across the sparsely furnished living room
“Yeah” He turned fro in the doorway, backlit by the bright sunlight shining in from the kitchen
“The victim is Deidre Jones, isn’t it?” Alex asked
“Yes”
Yesterday, he’d smelled the lies on her like overdone perfued him at the TBI offices He knew he’d hit so soht but didn’t relish the victory “What happened?”
“She was stabbed multiple times She’s in the kitchen”
Dozens of questions rattled in his brain, but he silenced them all Look first Then ask His old man had said that a million times Don’t let anyone else’s analysis cloud your perspective
He moved past a couch and a coffee table On the table sat a half glass of water, red lipstick on the rim No furniture beyond the couch, other than a television and a small end table with a lamp on top