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“Hey, Frankie, are you all right?” Nate reaches out to grip my shoulder.
“Fine,” I snap, unnecessarily. “Just thinking about a few things,” I add, softening my earlier tone. “Thanks for rushing those fluids.”
I walk away, grounding myself in the task at hand—not the handsome billionaire.
My thoughts shift back to Nolan Petrovic.
The psycho disemboweled this man in his own home. His story demands my full attention.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Frankie
“It’s a bust on Petrovic,” I growl, pushing my chair back hard enough to almost tip it over. I feel the tension in my neck spasm as I roll my shoulders, trying to shake off the tightness settling in. “These guys are like fucking ghosts. There has to be a connection.” There’s always one—some thread that weaves their lives together, even if it’s as mundane as a shared gym membership or the fact that they’re all cheating on their spouses.
Jay slams his pencil down, the sound echoing through the cluttered office. It’s the telltale sign that he’s reached his limit, too. “Yeah, I was hoping for more on those biologicals left on his forehead. Vitreous fluid,” he mutters, shaking his head. “This guy’s a monster.”
“Tell me about it,” I reply, the words coming out sharper than intended. “Squashing someone’s eyeballs is peak demented. How far gone do you have to be?”
Jay exhales, a weary sound filled with disgust. “Maybe he’s only hunting men? Just an opportunistic killer like Gacy, picking off what’s available.”
“Yeah, but Gacy still targeted young boys. This guy? He’s all over the place—different ages, different backgrounds—just a bunch of men.”
“Then that’s your answer,” he says, frustration creeping into his voice. “Maybe he’s just a scrawny loser wishing he could be strong and virile like these guys. They’re fit and attractive enough, right?”
I stare at the wall, my mind racing. It’s easy to throw theory after theory, but it all feels like grasping at straws in the dark. This isn’t just about profiling; it’s about stopping a monster before he claims another life.
It’s a good point, and I nod my agreement at Jay’s explanation, but it doesn’t feel right. As a detective, I rely on the evidence to make arrests and ultimately get convictions, but to get there, I rely heavily on my gut. Any cop who denies that is lying—or a terrible cop.
“You don’t like it.”
“No, I don’t. The crime is too violent, too personal. He knows these men, or they’re proxies for who he really wants to kill.” It’s the only thing that fits.
Jay pushes away from the desk and stands up, shaking his head while sending me a half-hearted glare. A surge of concern rises in me when I see the haggard look in his eye and the dark pools of fatigue circling his cheekbones. I’m sure my face mirrors his fatigue. “That’s enough for tonight,” he says with a yawn and adds, “We’re not doing anyone any favors working ourselves to the bone. Let’s get out of here and get some sleep.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I agree. “I need to get out of here and get some sleep, or else I’m going to go crazier than I already am.”
He lets out a short laugh. “Have you been staying because of me? You know you don’t have to keep my hours, Frankie.”
“We’re partners,” I grunt, as if that’s the only response needed.
“I know, but you have some autonomy, you know. If you need to knock off early, do that. I see your dedication to the job.”
His words mean the world to me. Especially after what happened to my dad. Yeah, I want to nail the fucker terrorizing these men, but I also want to end my career with a rep like Jay’s as one of the best ever to wear the badge.
And if my dad is looking down, I want him to swell with pride that his little girl is following in his footsteps. That and only that would make all this hard work worthwhile.
Jay grabs his jacket from the back of his chair. “’Night, Frankie.”
I turn out the lamp on my desk. “Night. Plans tonight?”
He glances down at his watch. “Fingers crossed. Maybe I can convince Cassandra to have dinner with me if it’s not too late.” His eyebrows dance with excitement, and I smile.
Jay’s getting more action than me. Hell, he’s getting all the action while I’ve just been ghosted by a man who gave me the best sex of my life. “Have some fun for me too, would ya?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” he says, giving me a two-fingered salute.
Jay and I leave the precinct together, parting when I head for my car. I check the back seat and my surroundings before slipping inside, then let out a deep breath and head home. My thoughts wander back to Damien, which pisses me off.
