an oak that wrapped around another until they merged. It overlooked a lake.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “If it’s him, and if he’s got Ari, if he was drawn to her because of our past, then he might recreate the scene with her.”
This might explain why he moved on Ari rather than Twyla’s parents. By that point, he must have known where to find Cass. What he wanted was to know how to hurt her. With our friendship secret, Twyla would have been right to name Ari as Cass’s last significant relationship, romantic or not.
“The other victims weren’t staged that way,” Abernathy reminded them. “From what we can tell, he interrogated his victims and then killed them.” He paused. “He might be less sentimental than you think.”
“What about the music?” Parker studied her. “Music was left playing at all the crime scenes.”
“Serena loved to dance. She sang too, but it made cats yowl in the alley.” Cass’s eyes turned glassy. “The one thing she loved about living over a saloon was the music from downstairs drifting up to us all day and all night. She was always humming.”
“He might be taunting you with it,” Boaz surmised. “He might still be using her to punish you.”
And in doing so, he was wrecking Cass’s good memories by associating them with those brutal deaths.
Scanning the table, I met the gaze of each person present. “Anyone got any better ideas?”
No one offered up a better idea. Collectively, we had none. We were grasping at straws.
“Haven Lake.” Cass wiped her eyes dry. “That’s my best guess.”
“The Lovers are there,” I realized then explained to Boaz. “A pair of oak trees that grew together into an arch over the path that leads to the gazebo overlooking the lake.”
“Then let’s go.” Boaz clapped his hands. “We’ll split into pairs and comb the area.”
“I’ll call Demaryius,” Cass said quietly. “He would want to be there for this, and he can bring help.”
A clan master searching for his mate and several of their peers familiar with her scent could only help.
“All right.” Boaz nodded. “Let’s move out.”
For Cass’s sake, I prayed we weren’t too late.
Seventeen
The park attached to the lake, where the Lovers resided, closed at sunset. There was an RV park about half a mile away, so the posted hours didn’t mean much. There was often traffic from the lake itself as well, so we would have to remain alert for humans.
Parker and Abernathy split into a team, Boaz and Honey paired off, and that left me with Cass.
Demaryius had yet to arrive, but he would be here soon. His clansmen ought to be on his heels, but we had no idea how much time we had left to locate Ari. If any. All Cass could say with any certainty was her girlfriend had been found at dawn.
There had been no postmortem, not that I would have expected much from one way back in the day, so there was no telling when she had actually died. The point was moot since Cass and her girlfriend had been whores, and no one had cared if they lived or died. Only that the beds in the brothel were kept full and warm each night.
“I’m still the same me,” Cass said softly. “What I said back there doesn’t change anything.”
The worry I would view her as a victim, as weak, stunned me. She was a survivor, and I was proud of her.
“I want to kill him with my bare hands for what he did to you.”
The tension smoothed from her shoulders. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. He should have been staked and left out for the sun a long time ago.”
“All those people died…” she shook her head, “…so he could get me back.”
“Those deaths aren’t on you.” I took her hand. “None of this is your fault.”
“He killed them to get to me.”
“Cass.” I pulled her to a stop and got in front of her. “This? It’s not you. You don’t hide. You don’t scare. You don’t back down.” I jerked on her arm. “You’re a fighter. You taught me everything I know. You’re the most fearless woman I’ve ever met.” I frowned. “Don’t let him put you back in that box. Don’t let him diminish you again. Don’t give him what he wants.”
“You’re right.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “It’s…a lot to process.”
“You can break down later.” I smiled. “We’ll have a Keanu marathon. We can do it up big, make a whole weekend out of it. Just