Page 10 of Seven Deadly Sins

“Sure, it does. Come here,” Liam called.

She stepped out of the bedroom and joined him at the bookcase. Every paperback depicted a man and woman in the throes of passion. Amber's guilty pleasure had been steamy romance. “Still doesn't say she had the sin of lust.”

“No, but this does. Richardson spent a lot of time with Jade, right?” Liam arched a brow. “Spent time at the club with her. Look at this Christmas photo.” He handed it to her. “See who Amber has eyes for?”

Harper studied the photo of the strip club decked out for the holidays. Lance Richardson had his arm around Jade's shoulders. Everyone smiled at the camera. Everyone except Amber. Her gaze rested on Lance. “Why didn't she tell us she cared for the man?”

“We didn't ask. We need to check on Jade.” He led the way to her apartment.

A clearly not happy to see us again Jade answered the door. “I guess sleep is out of the question today.”

“This is a safety call,” Harper said. “Your coworker and neighbor, Amber, was found murdered in her apartment less than half an hour ago. Did you see or hear anyone?”

She gasped and sank into a chair. “Not Amber.”

Harper sat in a chair next to her. “Were you aware Amber had feelings for Lance?”

“Yes. She’d laugh about it sometimes. I'd get mad and storm away. She was my friend, though.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Why would someone want to kill her?”

“We think someone has targeted people connected with the Richardsons. Is there somewhere you can go? Someone you can stay with until this killer is caught?” Harper put a hand on her arm.

“No. I have no family. My only friends are at the club.” She glanced from Harper to Liam. “Don't you have a safe house or something like in the movies? Or how about a bodyguard so I can still work? If I don't work, my bills don't get paid.”

“If you're dead, they won't get paid either.” Harper stood. Since they'd never had anything like this happen in Oakdale before, she wasn't sure how to proceed. “Agent?”

“I'll contact the field office. I'm sure we'll have somewhere she can stay. As for continuing to work, I don't advise it.” He typed into his phone. “We have an officer downstairs who can stay with you until a place is found. Make it quick, though. We don’t have a lot of officers at our disposal. Please lock your door behind us and don't open it unless you see an identification through the peephole. Your life could depend on it, ma'am.”

Jade nodded, her eyes wide in a pale face. “I'll wait right here. I promise.”

Harper moved to the door. The Richardson siblings and now Amber. Pride and Lust. What sin did Jade fall under? Would it be lust because of her profession? Did the killer consider her as guilty for causing lust as to having the emotion? Nothing made sense and the bodies kept piling up.

She stepped outside. Where are you? Who are you? Why did you bring this trouble to Oakdale?

~

So beautiful to be born of such evil. He peered through the binoculars at the detective. What sin does she hide behind those eyes?

Even if she were innocent, her grandfather had not been. She must pay for his sin. Her and the FBI agent whose relative had been just as guilty.

He watched as law enforcement and crime scene techs scurried around like ants. The latest kill had lusted after someone who belonged to another. Not that the pretty stripper was any better than the server had been. Her time would come. Uncareful planning of the deaths showed a lack of finesse, imagination.

She lowered the binoculars and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his car. Sarah had done well with her tasks, but it was time to implement someone else's skills. Time to really shake up the citizens of Oakdale and Harrington. He turned up the radio, blasting classical music through the open window, and pulled away from the curb as the Agent McConnell joined the detective on the apartment steps.

Fighting the urge to wave, he grinned and sped away. If he didn't have so much to do, he'd have enjoyed staying and watching as the two he wanted brought to their knees ran around like headless chickens. To them, none of what happened made sense. To him, it made all the sense in the world.

He drove back to his high-rise apartment in Knotsville. The gate opened automatically, the sensor picking up the card hanging from his rearview mirror. He parked in his space and whistled on his way to the elevator. He couldn't remember a time when he'd had this much fun. Who would have thought revenge really could be sweet?

When the elevator doors opened, he stepped out, nodding at the men and women milling around. His plastic surgery office wasn't the only business in the building, but his penthouse apartment was the only residence. He liked it that way. Once everyone else went home at five, the building became a silent abode broken only by another presence when he summoned them.

Tonight, he craved solitude in order to plan his next move. He stopped by the office and took note of the next day's consultations, before heading to the penthouse. There, he poured himself a glass of the finest Scotch and unrolled a blueprint of his target.

Unfortunately, there would be collateral damage, but were there any innocents who frequented such places? No, he'd feel little remorse at the act. Finding the perfect spot to cause the most damage, he reached for his phone.

“It's time. Put it under the stage. It needs to be done now, while you can sneak in and out unobserved.” He listened as the man on the other end pointed out the fact there were still dancers, servers, and customers at this early hour. “Yes, but it can't be helped. If you wait until the busy time, you'll never succeed. Do it now.” He hung up and moved to his window where he'd have a good view of the show.

He took a sip of his drink, feeling the smoothness as it slid down his throat and relaxed the tautness in his shoulders. He passed the time re-picturing the worried look on Detective Scranton's lovely face. What a waste when it was her time to face judgment. Maybe he should give her the chance at a new life first. A life righting the world's wrongs. A life at his side.

No, she was probably as deceitful as her grandfather had been. He grinned around the rim of his glass, remembering the shocked look on the old man's face during the last few seconds of his life.