Riptide by Lorena McCourtney

Author:Lorena McCourtney [McCourtney, Lorena]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rogue Ridge Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

And never see Nick again. . .

It was for the best.

The doorbell rang again just after 8:00. She hesitated, mindful of Nick's warning not to open the door to just anyone. A warning that now, after feeling the killer's eyes on her at Helen Maxwell's services, seemed even more potent.

She paused before touching the doorknob. "Who is it?"

"Ben Mosely."

She recognized the gruff voice. She was momentarily appalled at how haggard he looked when she opened the door. His belt bunched his pants at the waist, as if he'd lost weight, and loose skin sagged under his jaws. Was the granddaughter's condition worsening? She stepped back, but he made only a single step into the room, just far enough so she could close the door.

"I talked to the medical examiner. He hasn't made his official report yet, but he did give me some preliminary information I thought you might want to know."

"Thank you." Sarah mentally braced herself. "I appreciate that."

"Julie was killed by a single bullet. It entered the back of the head and exited at the base of the throat. Death was instantaneous. The estimated time of death is approximately twenty-four to forty-eight hours after she was abducted. She had eaten pizza during that time. There were no drugs in her system, and no evidence of sexual molestation."

She heard compassion in Ben's voice, but his words painted agonizing visions inside her mind. Bullet to the back of the head. . . She swayed, and he reached out to steady her.

"But there's more to it than the bare-bones facts." He spoke hurriedly, as if he were anxious to get to this. "With the killer behind her, she didn't know the bullet was coming, so she didn't have some last minutes of terror. And she didn't suffer afterward. Giving her something to eat suggests the killer treated her . . . kindly before the fatal shot. And if she were my daughter, I'd be relieved to know this wasn't a sexual crime," he added gruffly.

Sarah would never have thought anything about Julie's death could be a relief, but Ben's interpretation did offer a certain comfort. Yet a moment later an unexpected resentment blazed at how Ben, in trying to soften the blow for her, almost made this cold-blooded killer sound decent.

"A real nice guy, huh?" she challenged bitterly. "A heart-of-gold murderer."

Ben's jaw clenched. "No. No heart of gold. A ruthless, calculating killer. She was bound with duct tape when she died. The killer cut the tape later, probably to make carrying her body easier."

The gray tape she'd seen on Julie's wrist, Sarah thought with dull horror.

"But it could have been worse for her, much worse," Ben added.

She heard the pain in his voice, and she was suddenly ashamed of herself. He was doing his best to make this easier for her. "I'm sorry. I appreciate your coming. I talked to the funeral home. They'll pick up Julia's body for transport to California. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"I can talk to Randy about releasing your SUV.

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