Dark Secrets (A Dana Blaze FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 4) by Katie Rush

Author:Katie Rush [Rush, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2024-04-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Dana wasn’t sure which weighed on her more as she and Sam approached the hotel clerk to pick up their keys: her fatigue from the day or her disappointment at having made so little progress.

Three women dead, and we still know next to nothing about the killer, she thought.

She was distracted by the cheerful voice of the clerk, a young woman with bright, excited eyes who seemed universally thrilled to see every new face that walked into the lobby. She wore a neatly pressed uniform and carried a professional demeanor that didn't quite mask her genuine enthusiasm. "Good evening! Your keys are ready for you. You'll be on the eighth floor; the elevators are just to your right. Anything else you need?"

Sam glanced at Dana, who shook her head.

“All set,” Sam said, smiling. “You have a good night, ma’am.”

As they made their way to the elevator, Dana couldn't help but feel the weight of her exhaustion bearing down on her. The steady rhythm of the day's efforts had turned into a slow drumming in her temples, each beat serving as a reminder of their fruitless endeavors.

Inside the elevator, under harsh fluorescent lighting that made Sam's sandy hair look almost blond, she took a moment to study her partner, taking in his lean figure, the intricate tattoos on his forearms laid bare by rolled-up sleeves. She thought about the layers each tattoo represented, marking phases of his life, each one an untold story.

“You doing alright?” he asked.

She sighed. “Yeah. Just…frustrated that we know so little about the killer. I’d feel a lot better about this if we had a clearer profile.”

Sam was silent for several moments. “I don’t know,” he said, his tone indicating a mild objection. “I think we know quite a bit.”

“Like what?”

“We know he’s a chameleon capable of blending into different environments. We know he has some kind of interest in history. We know he’s athletic and strong enough to bludgeon his victims to death with a blunt object.”

“But we don’t know why,” Dana said, unable to mask her frustration. “The Fourth Amendment—that’s Gary’s doing. As far as we know, this killer may have no interest at all in the Constitution. He might be doing it simply because Gary is paying him, just like with the last one we arrested. But an ordinary, well-adjusted person doesn’t just start bludgeoning women to death, not even for a bag of money.”

The elevator doors opened onto the eighth floor and they exited, walking side by side down the long, carpeted hallway, their room keys held ready in their hands.

“Add that to the list, then,” Sam said. “A propensity for violence. Guys like this often start as thieves. Then one day, the owner walks in and catches them, and they panic and get violent to protect themselves. Once they realize they can get away with it, they start to enjoy it. It's like a drug to them—and it’s only a matter of time before our killer ODs.”

Dana nodded, not entirely convinced, but she appreciated Sam's attempt to reassure her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.