Page 23 of The Creekside Murder (Pacific Northwest Forensics #1)

Jessica’s heart skipped a beat, and she dug her fingers into Finn’s arm.

“How do you know this, Plank? What do you mean by personal? Has this guy been in touch with you? Is he a fanboy?”

“So many questions, Professor. I think I like you better when we’re discussing your book about me, and I did just give you a nugget for that book, an exclusive. I did not kill Tiffany Hunt. You can tell her sister that bit of news, not that she ever believed I had killed her.”

“You got that right, Plank.” Jessica punched the pillow in her lap. “Now, how do you know so much about this guy?”

Plank said, “Oh, she’s there.”

Finn shook his head. Jessica knew he didn’t want her talking to Plank, but she was tired of being afraid. “I’m here and I want answers. Why, other than the obvious, do you think these murders are some sort of personal message to me?”

“The first murder was to get you there, to get your attention. He copied your sister’s killing—even if he wasn’t responsible for that one. The second and third murders were to bring you glory.”

She barked out a bitter laugh. “How did those murders bring me glory? They made me sick.”

“The Kitsap Killer, as I believe he’s now being called, let you find the bodies.”

“ Let me?”

Plank coughed and lowered his voice. “He was doing you a favor, Jessica. He knows your line of work. He figured giving you a heads-up on the murders would win you points the lab.”

She snorted. “He doesn’t know how the lab works. We’re supposed to be investigating and analyzing evidence, not discovering it on our own.”

Finn interrupted. “He didn’t do her any favors tonight. He tried to kill her.”

“Hmm.” Sounded like Plank was tapping on the phone. “He didn’t plan that. You must’ve done something to upset him. Did you call him a name? Try to humiliate him?”

“No.” Jessica squeezed her eyes closed, replaying the moments when she approached the fountain with the gun pulled. “I had a gun, and I told him I’d called the cops. I had called the cops.”

“Ahh.” Plank released a noisy breath. “That’s it. You betrayed him. He was sharing his kill with you, and you came with a gun intending to harm him, and you called the police. He reacted to that.”

They could hear another voice in the background. “My turn.”

“So sorry, Jessica, Professor. My time is up, but I’ll be following the case of the Kitsap Killer—not as colorful as the Creekside Killer, though.” Plank cleared his throat. “Now that you know I didn’t kill Tiffany, maybe we can be friends, Jessica.”

Jessica almost gagged. As she opened her mouth to return a nasty retort, Finn tapped her hand. He shook his head and ran a finger across his neck.

She gulped back her bile. “I don’t know about being friends, but I do appreciate your input, and I’m glad to finally get confirmation that Tiffany’s killer is still out there. So…thanks for that.”

“Of course. If I have any more insight, I’ll call you.”

“Jessica doesn’t have a phone. You can call me.”

“Yes, Professor. You’ll need to protect her.”

Plank ended the call abruptly, and she and Finn stared at the phone on the bed.

She asked, “Is that what you do when you interview him for the book? You pretend to be his friend?”

“Avery Scott Plank is a psychopath. He doesn’t understand the concept of friendship, so that’s not necessary.

It’s a game to him. He’s a smart guy. Don’t underestimate him because he also happens to be evil.

” Finn drummed his fingers against the headboard.

“What he said on the phone about the Kitsap Killer and you makes sense. You were just wondering why KK hadn’t tried to harm you before last night. ”

“Why would he want to do me any favors? He doesn’t owe me anything…unless he did kill Tiffany. I don’t believe for a second he feels bad about that murder, but maybe in his warped mind he thinks he can make up for my loss by giving me the heads-up on his current crimes. Like you said, it’s a game.”

“Or he’s taunting you.”

“Taunting me?”

Finn jumped from the bed and paced to the window. “You couldn’t save Tiffany. You were away at college, but you still blamed yourself. KK is giving you a chance to redeem yourself, but not really. It’s just an illusion.”

“Okay, Professor, you’re losing me. Don’t forget. I almost drowned tonight.” She hit the side of her head with the heel of her hand. “My brain is probably waterlogged.”

“Think about it.” He raised one finger and took another hike across the room, as if on the stage in a lecture hall.

“KK is providing you with an opportunity to save his victims. He contacts you minutes before he kills them, or so he says, giving you the false belief that if you got there quickly enough you could prevent their deaths. He’s dangling that carrot.

Holding out the possibility that you can right history.

You couldn’t save Tiffany, but you just might be able to save Missy or Gabby. ”

“Th-that’s sick.” Jessica folded her arms across her stomach.

“He must be zeroing in on me because he killed Tiffany himself, or because, like you mentioned to Plank, he’s captivated by my sister’s case.

Maybe he grew up here and knows the story.

How does he know so much about me, though?

That’s what makes me think he’s actually Tiffany’s killer. ”

Clasping the back of his neck with one hand, Finn stopped his pacing.

“Anyone fixated on Tiffany’s case would know all about her ardent younger sister.

You talked to the press frequently. You gave interviews.

You made sure the world knew Tiffany Hunt had a sister and that sister was adamant about getting justice for Tiffany. ”

“Got me.” Jessica rubbed her chin. “I also visited quite a few of those true crime chat rooms.”

“You’re kidding me.” Finn plowed a hand through his hair, making it stand on end like a mad professor’s.

“I’m afraid not.” Jessica tried to make her voice small, but the damning statement was out in the open. “I know that was ill-advised, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“When was the last time you logged on to one of those sites?”

She knew exactly when, but she rolled her eyes to the ceiling as if she had to think about it. “A few months ago.”

“KK could’ve been in the chat rooms with you. I do a whole unit in one of my classes on these true crime discussion boards, blogs, podcasts. It might be worth checking back with the website to see if we can find any clues now that there’s a copycat.”

“Or the original.” Jessica yawned.

Finn dropped to the edge of the bed and reached for her ankle, wrapping his fingers around it. “I was supposed to be staying here to watch over you and make sure you got some rest. Instead, you’re over here talking to Plank and mulling over theories as to why a serial killer is harassing you.”

Reclining against the pillows, she said, “Once I heard Plank’s voice on the line, there was no way I wasn’t going to speak with him, and talking to him is what engendered the theories.” She picked up her paper cup and drained the remnants of her tea. “You brought me tea, though. You did good.”

Finn turned off all the lights except for the lamp on his side of the bed. “I’m going to take a quick shower. Make sure you let me know at any time tonight if you’re not feeling well. You’re not out of the woods yet.”

Finn closed the bathroom door behind him and as the shower started, Jessica crawled beneath the covers and flipped them back on Finn’s side. He didn’t have to sleep on the tiny sofa or the floor or the foot of the bed.

After the terror of the night, she wanted that man right next to her. Although sex was the last thing on her mind, she trusted Finn. She trusted him with her life. She could trust him with her heart.

By the time he came back to bed, Jessica’s lids drooped heavily over her eyes. He slid into bed beside her, his back toward her. She rolled to her side and wrapped one arm around his waist, burying her nose in the warm, slightly damp skin of his back.

She whispered, “Was Gabby a good student?”

“Bright, inquisitive, the best.” Finn’s voice was hoarse.

Tucking her hand in Finn’s, she said, “Tell me we’re going to catch this guy before he can destroy any more lives.”

If Finn answered her, she didn’t hear him. Instead, she pressed her face against his shoulder as a tear slid down her cheek.

* * *

T HE FOLLOWING MORNING , Finn woke up with Jessica wrapped around his body—one arm flung over his chest and one long, smooth leg entwined with his.

He closed his eyes as he ran a hand over her wavy wheat-colored hair, and then rolled out of the bed, planting his feet on the floor. Jessica didn’t need that sort of comfort right now.

He stalked off toward the bathroom to have a dip in a cold—or at least cool—shower. He squeezed some of Jessica’s toothpaste onto his finger and ran it over his teeth—the next best thing to a toothbrush.

“Coffee?” Jessica tapped on the door. “I can either make a cup of instant in the room or order some room service.”

“It’s Sunday. Go ahead and order some breakfast from room service, unless you have someplace to be.

I’d like to take a look at those true crime chat rooms. Been thinking about them all night.

” He swung open the door and kissed her on the mouth, showing off his new, minty breath.

A man could only show so much restraint.

“So, not a good night’s sleep for you?” Her gaze did a hungry inventory of his bare chest that weakened his restraint even more.

“Not great.” In so many ways . “Why don’t you get ready, and I’ll order the breakfast.”

“You got a deal.” She slid open the closet and grabbed some clothes, and then they did an awkward dance in the doorway of the bathroom as they switched places.

“Are you an eggs and bacon kind of girl?”

“At this place, I’m a cinnamon swirl French toast kinda girl.”

She retreated to the bathroom, and Finn got on the phone to order room service. Then he checked on Bodhi and pulled out his laptop.