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“Those alibis. I hope the sheriff’s department is going to recheck those alibis. Deke has a brother, right? Maybe it was his brother in that bar at karaoke night while Deke was murdering Morgan. Maybe they look alike. Tiffany and I didn’t, but we had different fathers.”
“I’m sure Morse is on it.” He gave her a glance out of the corner of his eye. “He’s on you, too. He’s not happy the killer led you to two bodies.”
“He’snot happy?” She thumped her chest. “How does he thinkIfeel? I didn’t ask for this.”
“You didn’t see anything in the Art Garden?”
She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping one arm around her legs. “I was so focused on Gabby’s body, I didn’t even hear him come up behind me until it was too late. I was right at the edge of the fountain, giving him a perfect opportunity. He rammed into me, pushing me into the water face-first. Before I got over my shock, he was holding my head down. I saw black jeans, felt a gloved hand on my neck. He was probably wearing a mask just in case he didn’t successfully kill me.”
“Didn’t see any red scarf, hair color? Smells?”
“No, he wasn’t wearing cologne or aftershave. Hadn’t eaten any garlic or kimchi, either.” She inhaled her teabefore taking a sip. “I just don’t understand why he tried to kill me.”
“Uh, because he’s a killer.”
“You know what I mean.” She yawned, the adrenaline of the evening finally dissipating. “I’m okay now. You can go home.”
“There’s no way I’m leaving you in this hotel room alone tonight.” He got off the bed. “I can sleep on the sofa in the corner.”
“With your legs draped over the edge?” She smoothed the covers beside her and then patted the bed. “If you’re staying as my protector, you can sleep in the bed. It’s not like we haven’t shared a bed before.”
“Yeah, and I remember how that ended.” He toed off his sneakers. “I’ll swish some of your toothpaste around in my mouth, and then I’ll join youonthe bed.”
The terror of the night had buried any lustful inclinations she might have had about Finn for the moment, but his presence made her feel warm and safe—and sometimes warm and safe beat out lust by a mile.
As Finn took a step toward the bathroom, his cell phone rang on the nightstand. He pivoted. “This time it’s my phone.”
While handing it to him, she looked down at the display and swallowed hard. “Unknown number.”
“Then I’d better take it.” He plopped on the bed next to her and put the phone on speaker before answering it. “Who is this?”
A low voice hissed over the line. “It’s your subject, Avery.”
Jessica hugged herself. His voice sounded even more sinister over the phone.
“How’d you get your hands on a cell phone, Plank?”
“Come now, Professor. You know by now a con can get anything inside—for the right price. I call you after midnight and you’re wondering how I got the phone?” Plank clicked his tongue. “You never stopped being a cop.”
Finn met Jessica’s eyes and rolled his own. “What do you want?”
“I heard all about the hijinks at Kitsap College tonight, Professor, and how Jessica Eller was involved…again.”
Jessica scooted closer to Finn and twined her arm through his. She didn’t like hearing her name on Avery Plank’s lips, even over the telephone.
Finn’s voice grew rough. “A woman was murdered, and another was almost murdered. I’d call it more than hijinks.”
“Of courseyouwould. To me it’s a lark.”
Finn growled low in his throat. “What do you want?”
“If you’re still in touch with Jessica Eller, and I’m betting you are, you need to warn her.”
Finn squeezed her thigh. “About what? She already knows this killer has a target on her back.”
Plank chuckled. “I’m sure she does, but you’d better tell her to watch that target on her back very closely because I didn’t kill her sister. That guy’s still out there—and now it’s personal.”
Chapter Fourteen