Page 39 of The Grave Artist

“Nothing’s more important than finding Dad’s killer. I can’t believe I’m having to say this to you. You just told me no one else is going to investigate this case until we do. Now you still want to shove it to the back burner after what I told you?”

“Yes, somethingismore important. Finding a killer who’s going to kill again. Maybe any day now. There’s nothing that tells us Dad’s killer is going to murder anyone else.”

“You can’t be sure of that. For all we know, whoever it is could have killed twenty people over the last three years since Dad died. And maybe heisabout to kill again!”

Carmen calmed and said reasonably, “You’re right. It’s just, I can’t be sure of it. But what I can be sure of is that another innocent person will die if I don’t follow up on this one.”

“Why does it have to beyou, Carmen? Aren’t there thousands of agents assigned to HSI? Can’t one of them take over the case from you?”

Actually, they couldn’t. “Jake and I are the only ones running it on the federal side. And I’m the only LEO assigned to I-squared. He’s a civilian.”

“Well, if you’re not going to follow up on this, I’ll do it myself.”

That again . . .

“Lina, I told you: no.”

“You’re not my mother,” she snapped.

This cut deep. Because, yes, Carmenhadbeen her mother, since she’d raised her after both of their parents had passed.

Still, reasonable. Still, even tempered. “You don’t have the training or the authority to—”

“Then why did you teach me everything you know?”

Yes, she’d taught her sister many things about being a law enforcer. But it was mostly for her own defense. And her “lessons” were no substitute for years in the academy and the trial by fire on the street.

It was then that a single long tone sounded from the police band radio clipped at her waist.

“What’s that sound?” Selina asked.

“An emergency signal. The dispatcher uses it to get attention before making an announcement.”

“What kind of announce—?”

“Shh!”

The dispatcher’s voice cut through the silence that followed the tone. “All units, code 3. Two forty-five in progress. The park north of Cedar Hills Cemetery. Subject is stabbing a victim near the north entrance of the grounds. Suspect is a White male, six two, two twenty, wearing gray windbreaker and jeans, baseball cap.”

A flurry of LAPD patrol unit transmissions reported that officers were en route to the scene. Carmen abruptly ended her conversation with her sister. “I gotta go, Lina. Leave Dad’s case alone. I mean it.”

Without waiting for an answer, she disconnected. She listened as the dispatcher delivered an update, indicating the suspect had left the scene. Then an addition:

“Responding rescue personnel, be advised that the victim is near the north entrance to Cedar Hills Cemetery. Victim is described as a White male, tall, average build, early thirties, brown hair.”

No!

The site of the stabbing was the exact spot where Jake Heron would be on his way to interview the girl.

She began to sprint.

Chapter 21

Her stomach in knots, Carmen held up her creds as she sprinted past the local PD officer posted at the perimeter of the park.

Please don’t let the wounds be fatal.

She had seen death while serving on the FBI’s Los Angeles field office SWAT team and now picked up the odor of blood in the air as she approached the paramedics hunched over the inert form lying on the grass near a statue of William Shakespeare.