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  “John, she was a great lady, and I considered her a friend. Especially during those horrible office events.”

  They both chuckled.

  “She always said the same thing about you.”

  The two detectives spent the next hour just chatting and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. Thor napping at their feet. As the sun began to set and the weather began to cool, Kacey and Thor took their leave.

  After a nice return walk, Kacey unclipped Thor’s leash and hung it up by her jacket.

  “Come on, baby … let’s eat.”

  She poured kibble into Thor’s dish and laughed as he began eating like a wild rhino, thinking maybe she should rename him after the animal.

  Chapter 54

  Colleen’s carpool riders were fuming! They had been texting her since 30 minutes after she was supposed to meet them. Finally, to avoid being even later than they already were, Michelle said that if they came to her house she would just drive and let Colleen take one of her turns.

  Chapter 55

  Mike couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned for 20 minutes before realizing that it was a lost cause. Finally, at 5:00 am, he got up and dressed for the indoor batting cages. He didn’t want to get rusty for the softball team that the detectives and their wives had started a few years ago. He needed all the help he could get. His batting average wasn’t the best, but he was a pretty good outfielder.

  This way he could get an hour in, come back to shower, and go check on Jack before getting to work.

  He fed Mika, his rescue cat, and watched, amused, as she acted like she didn’t care that her empty bowl was filled until he left the room and then he could hear her chomping like a starved coyote. He laughed at the sound. She made this weird humming noise deep in her throat when she ate. Kacey said it was probably because she was so happy to be fed regularly. When Mike found her, she was nothing but skin and bones.

  He remembered that night that he and Kacey had found her, starving, hiding behind a dumpster while they were investigating an armed robbery. She was a filthy, skinny mess but you couldn’t tell it now. She was both sweet and haughty at the same time. Much as he hated to admit it … he loved that stupid cat.

  Kacey woke up, let Thor out, and started her coffee brewing …yawning and stretching the whole way. She gave him fresh water and refilled his food bowl. For his breakfast, she added a little bit of olive oil to keep his skin moisturized. The air was so dry.

  She stood in front of the patio doors watching him explore the back yard before he finally found the perfect spot for his morning potties. She laughed as he jumped when a squirrel dared to cross his line of sight. He immediately ran after it, his little puppy legs not standing a chance. When the squirrel was safely in his tree and Thor had lost interest, Kacey called him in. She wiped the morning dew from his feet and picked him up for a cuddle and kisses. She loved him so much, already.

  She got her coffee and went back into her room to get ready for the day, saying a prayer for Jack’s recovery as she turned on the shower.

  After she had her coffee and breakfast of sausage and eggs, she washed the dishes, got the coffee maker ready to go, and called Bill Front.

  He said he would be there in half an hour, so she played with Thor for awhile before putting him in his kennel. By the time she was ready to go, Homefront Security was there and ready to install.

  Chapter 56

  Kacey beat Mike to the precinct by just a few minutes. She had just hung up her heavy jacket, tossed her purse in her drawer, and carried her coffee to the conference room when he walked through the door with two boxes of donuts. He left one by the coffee maker, and watched the crowd form around the box, making him a very popular man, and took the other one to the room where Kacey had set up their evidence.

  “What’s up, Mike? How is Jack?”

  “Just came from there. She was sleeping, so I left her favorite dark chocolate sea salt candy with the nurse and she’s going to call me when she wakes up. I also left a dozen donuts at the nurse’s station as bribery. Since I’m not technically “family”, they aren’t supposed to let me in.

  The nurse on duty said that she is doing really well, but she still isn’t completely out of the woods yet.”

  “I’m praying for her, Mike.”

  “I figured you were.” Mike admired Kacey’s faith and believed that her prayers mattered. “So, what do you have?”

  “Well, I kind of have a Venn Diagram thing going here.” Kacey stood and walked around the room showing him what she had accomplished.

  “I can see that. Anything in common?”

  “We have the dating site, playing cards, French restaurant, and hair tokens.” She began. “I don’t get the playing cards. Ace of Spades and King of Spades. What is that? Is he going for a “hand”? I don’t really know poker, but isn’t a run of cards the best hand?”

  “Yep. Royal Flush.” Mike grew thoughtful. “Wait … do you think he’s killing until he has a Royal Flush?”

  “I do.”

  “Crap.”

  The Captain took that moment to stick his head into the room.

  “In my office, this room gives me hives. I want to know what you have.”

  He turned without waiting for an answer.

  Kacey sheepishly gathered their notes and the two detectives followed him into his office.

  After they had told him every piece of evidence they had acquired from their own observations, what the crime lab came up with, and Dr. Forrester’s evidence, Kacey finished off with their belief that they had a killer with an agenda.

  “How so?”

  “We think that he may be trying to get a Royal Flush.”

  “Which means he has three more potential victims.” The Captain thought for a moment. “So, we have a blond, a brunette, and a redhead. It looks like since Joanna McKinley was the redhead and she got away, that we have a redhead next.”

  “Yes sir.” Kacey looked down at her notes, gathered her courage, and looked back up at the captain.

  “I think what we need is bait.”

  Captain Wells leaned back in his chair and thought a minute.

  “No way, Kacey. You are expecting and I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you or the baby.”

  “Captain, I really think it’s the only way.” Kacey began. “You know we have a great team who would never let anything happen to me.”

  “Let me think about it … all right, get back to it.” He dismissed them.

  “Want to go with me to check on Bill Front, and let Thor out?”

  “Definitely, we need to talk to him about why he was at the funeral, too.”

  Mike helped Kacey into her jacket and they jumped in her car to see if they could get anything out of the owner of Home Front Security. Not a suspect, but definitely someone they should get to know better.

  Chapter 57

  Bill Front had spent some time befriending Thor.

  “You are such a good dog.” He said as he fed him yet another treat.

  His two employees had been hard at work installing sensors on all of Kacey’s windows and doors. Bill himself had installed the cameras at the front door and was getting ready to install the back yard one when Kacey and Mike came to check on his progress.

  “Morning, detectives.” He smiled at them with a good old boy grin.

  “Hey, Bill. How is it coming along?”

  “Well, Detective …”

  “Kacey, please.”

  “Well, Kacey, we have almost all of the window and door sensors in. When they are all installed, we will set up your keypad and I’ll show you how to program your password.”

  He walked around the house as he spoke, showing her their progress and introducing them to his employees as he went. They then walked outside so he could show her the camera he had just installed above the front door and then around to the back to show where he was getting ready to install the other camera.

  “I think we will probably do the motion sensor
lights tomorrow, if that’s ok with you.”

  “Oh, definitely. Will the security system be able to go by the end of the day?”

  “Sure will. Want me to call you when we are done and you can come program it with your password.”

  “Yes, please.”

  Kacey gave Mike a meaningful glance and he nodded slightly at her as Bill Front had his back to them.

  “I’m going to take Thor out, Mike.”

  “I’ll join you in a second. I need to use the bathroom.”

  Kacey got Thor and carried him outside.

  After a couple of minutes, Mike came out and casually brought up Alice’s memorial service.

  “I saw you at Ms. Benning’s service. I didn’t know you were friends.”

  “Not friends, but she was a client. A good one. She was very nice and I hate what happened to her. She didn’t deserve that. Not that anyone does.” He hastened to add.

  “Everyone had very nice things to say about her, that’s for sure.” Mike said.

  Mike went outside to play with his god dog for a little bit. Bill joined them a minute or two later.

  “You can leave him out if you want. He’s a lot of entertainment for us.”

  “If you don’t mind.” Kacey was a little surprised. “He’s not in the way?”

  “Nah. I love dogs. The guys do too.”

  “Well, thanks. Call me when you’re ready and I’ll be back.”

  Mike’s phone buzzed and as he read the text, he smiled.

  “Jack is awake and eating her chocolate.”

  “She must be feeling better.” Kacey said with a laugh. “I’ll take you to get your car.”

  “Thanks, Kace.”

  Chapter 58

  Captain Wells and Detective Boaz were getting frustrated.

  The “hit list” had resulted in zero evidence. No prints or anything to distinguish it from any other paper or writing tool. All of the names on the list had been alerted and were taking precautions.

  “I hate this new breed of criminal.” Detective Boaz began. “Thanks to all of these cop shows, they have an advantage. They understand evidence and how not to leave it.”

  “I know what you mean. I feel like throwing the remote through the television screen sometimes.” Captain Wells said with a sigh.

  “Have you seen Kacey’s work in the conference room?” Detective Boaz said with a laugh. “It looks crazy, but it works for her. Those cop shows wouldn’t know what to do with that stuff.”

  “Somehow it works, though. She definitely has a gift for sussing out a criminal.

  She wants to be bait for this dating site thing.” The Captain still wasn’t quite willing to let that happen.

  “Well, we need to figure this thing out before any more of our own suffer.”

  The two bent their heads over what little evidence they had.

  “Captain, it seems like a vendetta to me.”

  “I think so, too. Someone is taking vengeance on the spouses and significant others. Maybe someone who feels like we took their spouse?” Captain Wells said thoughtfully.

  “Let’s see if we can get a list of incarcerations in the last year or so that our detectives and officers have had a direct hand in.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter 59

  Mike had wasted no time in getting to Jack. He walked in on a very satisfying scene.

  Jack was sitting up in bed and she had a little color back in her face. She had no makeup on and her hair was a mess, but he didn’t think she had ever been more beautiful. Her face broke into a wide smile as she saw him lingering in the doorway.

  “Well, don’t just stand there.” She waved him in.

  Mike walked over to her and kissed her.

  “How are you feeling?” Mike asked as he took her hand.

  “Not bad, actually. It hurts, but more like a bruised and pinching feeling. And these stitches itch. But it’s really good to see you. Come sit by me.”

  The two just sat quietly for a while, holding hands and watching a rerun.

  Jack was drifting off and trying not to. When Mike noticed, he kissed her forehead and left her to nap and get some more of her strength back. Promising to come back the next day.

  He called Kacey on his way out.

  “Hey, Kace. Where are you?”

  “I was just ready to call you. We have a woman who hasn’t been showing up to work and her boss called the station to see if we would check on her. Angie just passed it on to me since it might be related to our case. Where are you?”

  “I actually just pulled out of the hospital parking lot, so I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Perfect. Call me when you’re about here and I’ll come out and you can drive.”

  “Be there in a bit.”

  Chapter 59

  Colleen had been so satisfying. All of the elements played out perfectly. She was so willing to fulfill her part of the scenarios. She was eager and beautiful. And her red hair! Those beautiful green eyes, opened wide in death. He could see it every time he closed his eyes, shuddering with pleasure.

  This definitely made up for the Joanna fiasco. He still seethed when he thought of it. He stabbed his favorite knife into the butcher block top of his desk. He mentally shook himself and took out his “souvenirs”. He stroked his newest acquisition. He loved laying them side by side. Brunette, blond, and red. They all had different textures. He held them one by one up to his nose and inhaled the scent of each different woman. They had each used different hair products and when he held them all together and smelled them, it was intoxicating.

  ‘Revel in what you have, not what you have not.’ He thought. He laughed when he pictured himself in the lotus position, meditating on that thought.

  The Professor booted up his laptop and logged into ‘makeamatch.com’ to see what he could find for the Jack of Spades. She had to be special.

  Chapter 60

  Colleen Sanford lived fairly close to the precinct, so it didn’t take long at all for them to arrive. The house was tiny with just slivers of yard surrounding it.

  The detectives rang the doorbell and waited a few minutes before Mike opened the screen door and knocked forcibly on the heavy front door. Nothing.

  Kacey tried to look in the front windows, but they were heavily curtained. Mike went around the back and circled the house just to find the same thing.

  “I think we need to go ahead and break in.” Kacey suggested. “Too much is going on in this town to ignore an unanswered door.”

  “I agree.” Mike said as he went back in the car for ‘The Enforcer’, his battering ram.

  They were inside within minutes and a horrible smell greeted them. Every detective knows the source of that smell.

  The house was so small that they found Colleen immediately.

  She was laying on her back with her hands folded across her chest and her ankles crossed. Her throat was slashed so deeply that it looked as if she had been decapitated. Her red hair was brushed and arranged in a perfect circle around her head, splayed out like a round fan. Her green eyes stared sightlessly. Open wide in horror.

  Kacey swallowed hard and turned from the body.

  “I’ll call it in.”

  Mike knelt by Colleen and tried to look in her mouth without touching her. His gloves were in the car. He could just barely see the corner of something sticking out of her mouth.

  He cursed under his breath.

  “What is it?” Kacey asked.

  “I think it’s another playing card.”

  Just then Captain Wells answered his phone.

  “Sir, we have another murder.” She gave the details and address.

  Mike stayed with the body and Kacey went to the car to get gloves and booties. She slipped hers on and went to where Mike was waiting and handed them to him.

  He put on his gloves and with his thumb, pulled Colleen’s chin down and saw what he had been dreading. A playing card.

  “Wanna bet it’s the Queen of
Spades?” Kacey asked. “When they get here we’ll get a picture then you can remove it.”

  As she finished her sentence, they could hear sirens.

  Chapter 61