Out of the Shadows by David Wind

Author:David Wind
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Serial Killer, Thriller & Suspense, Female protagonist, Crime Fiction, Strong female, Women Sleuths, Murder
Publisher: DMW
Published: 2018-05-08T00:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

THEY SAT IN A SEMICIRCLE in the office in Amy’s house. Rivera and Wahl were on Amy’s left, Carolyn Kael on the right.

Joan Morgan had left them with a fresh pot of coffee, and replenished the cookies and danishes on the low coffee table before them.

Facing them was a second marker board, which Carolyn had brought. As they’d eaten breakfast, Amy had explained the reason for Carolyn’s presence before delving into what she and Carolyn had discussed the day before.

“So now,” Amy picked up from where she’d broken off when her mother had come in, “we have several options but only one certainty—to use me to lure him out.”

“Which could be dangerous to someone else,” Carolyn Kael said.

Wahl and Rivera turned to her. “In what way?” Rivera asked.

Carolyn held the cadet’s questioning gaze for several seconds before looking at the other two women. “How would Amy be used?”

Before anyone could speak, she answered her own question with, “By planting a newspaper story to bait the Phantom. However, we have to think about what might happen if that story violates whatever rules he’s set up for Amy. We have to consider the possibility that if it isn’t done in exactly the right way, he’ll find another substitute.”

“No!” Amy exclaimed. “That note was his way of telling me that there would be no more substitutes—that he was coming for me this time.”

“Perhaps,” Carolyn admitted hesitantly. “But if you become too hard to get to...”

“It’s me, now, no one else,” Amy stated.

Cynthia Wahl stepped in, “Lieutenant, say you do get a story planted. What happens when he comes after you?”

Amy turned to the cadet. “That’s where you and Rivera come in. You are my backup. You are my shadows.”

“That’s unacceptable,” Carolyn snapped. “You can’t expect two raw recruits to be able to take this man on. Amy, stop the insanity.”

“Insanity?” Amy repeated, riveting her friend with a hot glare. “The only insanity in the city right now is that a madman is walking around as free as a bird and killing women. That’s insanity!”

“No more than you trying to take him on your own,” Carolyn whispered.

Amy swallowed back the heat of her emotions. She leaned closer to her friend. “Caro, if I don’t do this, no one else will. I know that, and so do these women!” She swept her hand toward the cadets.

“It’s my responsibility. He hurts these women, and then kills them because of me. And he’ll keep on doing it unless I let him come after me. It’s the only way I can make it up to those he’s killed.”

Carolyn tore her eyes from her friend’s hypnotic stare to look at Rivera and Wahl. “Do you feel the same way?”

“Yes,” Rivera said while Wahl nodded.

“Are you aware of the repercussions that will definitely come your way?”

“Yes,” Wahl said simply.

“I am very well aware,” Rivera added.

Exhaling loudly, Carolyn stood. “In that case, I will tell you what I think I’ve come up with from the note, and from reviewing the reports Amy gave me last night.

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