then loaded her into his vehicle.” He shrugged. “Rita barely weighed a hundred pounds. It would have been easy to stuff her behind the dumpster.”
“That makes sense.” Lynne looked sick even as she made a visible effort to remain in control of her emotions. “Why would he follow her into town and run her down in front of a crowd of people when he could kill her in a more isolated area?”
“Exactly. Then he brought her here to dump the body.” He swept his hand around the empty street. “If he parked on the street, I doubt anyone would have noticed his car. More importantly, I can’t imagine there are any working cameras. Why have security for an empty building?”
“God.” Lynne shuddered. “It’s so horrible.”
Kir moved to wrap an arm around Lynne’s shoulders. “Let’s go back to my dad’s house.”
She readily followed him back to the truck. He suspected she was eager to get away from the spot where Rita’s broken body had so recently been found. He didn’t blame her. It was a gruesome end for the poor woman.
“Do you have a specific reason you want to go to your dad’s place?” she asked as she crawled behind the steering wheel.
He joined her in the truck. “There are some old papers I want to look through.”
“Okay.” She pulled out of the parking lot. “Let’s swing by and pick up King. He’s going to be ready for his dinner.”
Dear Rudolf,
Our time together is nearing its end, old friend.
For so long I have depended on you to be my rock. You rescued me from the depths of hell. And while I was dragged back to the fiery pits, I never blamed you. You even helped me battle my bloodlust after I ended the screams.
I suppose it was too much to hope that the hunger would stay buried. It’s too ferocious. Too consuming. And I wearied of the fight.
Why shouldn’t I release my demons to feast on my enemies?
And still you were there.
I had to share my dark secrets with someone. Who else would I choose but you? The man who taught me the meaning of courage.
But every good thing comes to an end. Not only did you force me to stop you from interfering in my vengeance, but I am at the end of my list. I saved your precious vet for the last. Not because her death was bound to wound you, but because she has proven to be such a disappointment.
The others were selfishly cruel by nature. Like snakes slithering through the darkness, infecting the world with their poison.
Lynne . . . She is a sweet caring woman. Someone who offers nothing but kindness in a world where no one else gives a damn. Then she proved she is as damaged as the others. She proved unworthy of my admiration.
And that was more painful than all the others combined.
She has to be punished. And, if I am honest, there has been an unexpected pleasure in watching her squirm. She senses me. She knows I’m near, but she can’t see me.
I’ve savored her fear, and I regret that I don’t have the patience to continue the game.
I’m once again invisible. Until I strike.
Crimson blood stains the pure white snow. Life spills from warm to frozen. Don’t look. The pain is gone.
Chapter 24
Half an hour later, Lynne was entering Rudolf’s old house with a frisky King in tow. She’d fed and walked him around the block despite the frigid air. And while the dog was ready for a longer jog, she wasn’t prepared to risk his paws on the ice. Tomorrow she would take him to the office so she could spend her time between her appointments giving him the attention he needed.
Lynne pulled off her coat and boots in the kitchen, then poured out a large bowl of dog food before going in search of Kir.
She found him in a back bedroom that had been a study when Rudolf was alive. There was an old desk and a couple easy chairs, along with a dog bed the old man had never gotten around to throwing away. And in the far corner there was a glass case that held his prized fishing poles. At the moment it was stuffed with cardboard boxes Kir was shifting from one stack to another.
“The box is here somewhere,” he muttered as she entered the room. “I should have marked what I put inside, but I . . .”
“Kir,” she interrupted, moving to grab his arm.
He