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I didn’t fail to notice her use of the cop term.
“Maybe. If we can find the woman… he’s writing the letters to, we might get a break,” I said. I had tried to find that bastard for a while, but because he killed all over the country, it was hard to chase him.
“The Strangler killed once or twice every year, but he didn’t kill in a particular month or a day. It was all random. Why? Most serial killers choose something personal to them, something significant, but not The Strangler. His victim profiles are all over the place, the places he killed, once again, are not always the same. I think it’s all deliberate,” she said with a thoughtful look in her eyes.
“These women were all… without a family, without anyone. That’s the only thing they have in common. He was targeting women who were easy to nab, women nobody would miss.”
“Wrong. One of The Strangler’s victims had a sister,” Yara said, her lips pursed together, her eyes dark.
“Yes. I remember that one. What was her name? Ah, Katelyn Ricci. No parents but she had a sister. The cops found the body a day later on the Michigan highway, decorated with a bow and a love letter. She was his fifth kill. The one that made him popular.”
Except for Katelyn, every other woman that was chosen had no other family members. The rest of his victims were all single, lonely women.
Yara nodded. “You have a good memory.”
“I never forget the stories I write.”
“I’m the same. I can’t forget the dead bodies I autopsy,” she said.
“You asked me why I was so interested in Victor Bane. Why are you so interested in The Strangler, Yara?”
“I helped in the autopsy of one of the women he killed.”
“Was it Katelyn?”
She shook her head with a sigh. “No. This one was The Strangler’s seventh kill. I saw how peaceful the girl looked in her death. The killing was almost reverent. Usually, men are violent, aggressive creatures. Male assailants who hurt women tend to steer more toward punishment through sex and, if they are incapable, through violence. But none of his victims were assaulted. I couldn’t stop wondering about that. I still can’t,” she said, biting her lips.
Her captivating eyes were solemn as she tugged at the neck of her dress as if it were suffocating her.
“Was it so hard for you to look at the woman? To know that someone had…”
She took in a sharp breath and nodded. Her hand trembled. I leaned toward her and touched the back of her hand, hoping the small touch could be a comfort. She looked at me with a faint smile, and my heart felt like it would jump out of my throat and fall to her feet.
Oh. Fuuuuuuck.
“I had just joined as Doctor Mikael’s assistant. I was so new to all of that. I still remember how peaceful she looked, how truly dead but also… content. How he had become a god through her.”
“And you’ll never forget it, but The Strangler is… he’s dangerous, and you can’t—”
“It’s not like I’m going to go looking for him.” She smiled a little, but something was missing. “I just want to know him. To jump into his head and learn his secrets.”
“I know how it feels, the need to find the right piece of the puzzle. Why do you think I became an investigative reporter?” I said and then paused. This was becoming more than just casual chatter. This was going into territories I could not explore with her.
“So… you’re nosy,” she said with a smile as she pressed my hand between both her palms.
She looked at me, her eyes slowly shifting from distress to desire. I pulled my hand away. She quirked her brows and flashed me a smile that spoke of her sinister intentions.
“I’m curious.”
She stood up, unsteadily, and turned to look at me, her eyes sizzling, suggestive. My body reacted to that look in her eyes so vehemently that I wanted to run to her or away from her.
“Aren’t you curious to know what it is between us?”
I stilled. This woman was… unexpectedly straightforward, and I wasn’t ready for such staggering honesty. Not now. My life was full of lies.
“What?” I kept my voice steady, but there was a volcano bursting within me.
“You know… I want you, don’t you?” she said, her eyes dark with desire. “I don’t want to play games. Not this time. I want your body on mine, your cock inside my aching pussy.”
