The Last Move (Criminal Profiler 1)

Exhausted, he drove another hour south before fatigue forced him to pull over. He parked in the shadows of a deserted parking lot off one of the interstate ramps and slept for what he thought would be a quick catnap.

When he startled awake a glance at the clock told him he had slept ten hours. “Shiiit!”

For a few gut-wrenching seconds, he was convinced someone had spotted him and called the cops. He climbed out, took a quick piss, and started driving.

Up ahead, he spotted the “Welcome to Texas. Drive Friendly—the Texas Way” sign. Finally relaxing, he leaned back against the seat and rolled down the window as the truck crossed the state line. He enjoyed the warm air. He was tired of the snow and the frozen ground. The deep, soothing warmth of Texas appealed to him. He’d never buried anyone in the desert before.

He reached for a bag of half-eaten white powdered doughnuts and popped a whole one in his mouth. It was dry, but a swig of cold coffee washed it down just fine. The combination of sugar and caffeine hit the spot, giving him the boost he needed.

He pressed the accelerator and turned up the radio.

Eight more hours of driving and he’d be in San Antonio.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Knowledge is power. Always pays to be nice until nice no longer serves you.

San Antonio, Texas

Tuesday, November 28, 10:45 p.m.

After dropping Kate off at the car rental place, Mazur swung by his ex-wife’s house, hoping he had a little time with Alyssa before she went to bed at eleven. He strode up the front walk, noting the new BMW in the driveway. Sherry had always liked the finer things, and with this new job she was making serious bank.

Sherry had purchased a patio-style home in a community that took care of the lawn and common areas, provided a nice swimming pool and a fitness center, and hosted a bunch of fancy events ranging from wine tastings to concerts. When they’d married, they’d been so damn much in love. He’d have bet his right arm that they’d have made the long haul. But when he’d joined homicide the relationship frayed with every missed meal, late night, and missed birthday. Caleb’s birth hadn’t been planned, but he and Sherry had seen the boy as a second chance. For a few months, it looked like they’d turned a corner. And then he’d died. The grief shattered them both completely.

When Sherry asked for a divorce it hadn’t been unexpected, but it had been a kick in the balls. For a long time, he’d mourned the marriage, and he would always be sorry that they’d failed Alyssa.

He rang the bell. High heels clicked in the hallway, and the door snapped open. Sherry was dressed in a fitted skirt, white blouse, and heels that made her legs look great. She’d pulled her blond hair into a twist.

“Theo,” she said, smiling in a slightly uncomfortable way. “Alyssa told me you might be coming.”

“Sorry I didn’t call, Sherry. I only have a few minutes.”

Her smile didn’t waver, but the glint in her eyes turned brittle. “I understand. It’s not a problem. In fact, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Sure.”

“Dad!” Alyssa appeared at the end of hallway. She wore sweats, an oversize Chicago PD T-shirt, and socks.

“Hey, kiddo.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Seemed every time he saw her she was a couple of inches taller.

“We just ordered pizza. Why don’t you join us?”

He glanced to Sherry, who smiled. “Absolutely. Join us. The three of us haven’t eaten together in ages.”

He followed them into a kitchen outfitted with white marble countertops, stainless-steel appliances, and a crystal chandelier. French doors led to an enclosed backyard and a night sky full of stars.

On the counter were two boxes of pizza. One was cheese for Alyssa and the other was pepperoni and sausage, which was his favorite. She must really have something important to say if she was trying to order his favorite.

Alyssa handed him a plate, and he dropped a couple of slices on it. “Eat up.”

Sherry moved to the refrigerator and pulled out a cold soda. She popped the top and set it in front of him. “I have beer, but you said you have to get back to work.”

“This is perfect.”

“Great.”

As Alyssa told him about her day, Sherry walked to a wet bar and filled a glass with ice and vodka. She took a sip and then another before joining them.

They made small talk for the better part of fifteen minutes. He had to give Sherry credit. She was trying, and she had never denied him any time with Alyssa, often working around his crazy schedule to make sure their daughter saw him.

When Alyssa’s phone buzzed she glanced at it. “I’ve got to take it. It’s about the math test.”

“Take it in your room,” Sherry said. “Dad and I’ll wait for you.”

Alyssa glanced up at him. “Don’t leave.”

“Not going anywhere, kiddo.”

She hurried down the hallway, the phone pressed to her ear.

“So what’s up, Sherry?”

She sipped her vodka. “I’ve been transferred.”

He dropped the remains of his slice and wiped his hands with a paper towel. So his and Alyssa’s gut reaction had been right. “To where?”

“Washington, DC.”

He’d uprooted his life when he moved from Chicago to San Antonio. Now he and Alyssa were trying to make this place home, and Sherry wanted to leave again. He’d pulled strings to get the San Antonio job but doubted he had any more aces up his sleeve. “When?”

“Four weeks.”

He balled up the napkin and tossed it on the counter. “Have you told Alyssa?”

“Not yet.”

“You’re going to pull her out before the semester is over?”

Sherry drew in a breath. “I was hoping she could stay with you. I can get an apartment there and get my bearings. The first few weeks on the job are going to be crazy.”

“Of course. And then at the end of the school year, are you going to move her east?”

“I thought the end of the semester. Holidays are never great for the three of us anymore.”

“And I’m supposed to just find another job?” Frustration and anger bled through the words. Sherry had had to petition an Illinois judge to take their daughter out of state, who’d reluctantly agreed.

She traced the rim of her glass with a polished nail. “I never asked you to move here. I don’t expect you to move there.”

“I’m supposed to watch my only living child walk out of my life.”

Ice clinked in the glass as she swirled it. “I’ve never denied you visitation.”

“No. You just keep trying to put distance between me and my kid. If I want to see my daughter on a regular basis, I’ll have to move again.”

A muscle pulsed in her jaw. “She’s growing up. Soon she won’t need either of us.”

“She’s not there yet, Sherry. And until she does really leave the nest, I’m going to be a part of her life.” He didn’t want to get into a pissing match with her, but he was finding it hard to be civil. “She can move in with me at any time.”

“It’s only temporary, Theo.”

“So you’ve said. By my count, I’ve got a month before Alyssa and I have to turn our lives inside out again for your fucking career.”

“This is a really good job, Theo. I’ll be making the kind of money that will allow Alyssa to attend the best schools. She’s smart and can go to any college in the country now.”

He’d known from the start he’d married over his head when he said I dos with Sherry. She was smart and savvy, and he was always a little surprised she’d never reached for the big time. After their son had died, reaching higher kept her mind off the pain.

“When do you fly to Washington?”

“Saturday.”

“You’re shittin’ me. You just said four weeks.”

“I’m looking for a place to live and need to meet the people in the DC office.” She raised her

chin. “I have no choice.”

“We all have choices, Sherry.”

She sighed. “I don’t want to fight.”

He did. But with Alyssa in the other room, he’d have to find his pound of flesh somewhere else. “I’ll be ready for her.” His voice sounded tight. “Do you want me here when you tell Alyssa?”

She looked up, eyes filled with pain. “It’s not necessary.”

“Excuse me. I want to see Alyssa.”

“That’s it?” she asked.

“What do you want me to say, Sherry?”

She stared at him a long moment. “That you understand.”

He swallowed, his throat suddenly tight with emotion. “I understand you’re still running from the pain. Hell, that’s part of the reason I left Chicago. But so far neither one of us has done a good job of it.”

Mazur moved down the hallway and found Alyssa lying on her white four-poster bed with the phone pressed to her ear. The room was painted a pale pink, and the posters on the walls were a bunch of teenage boys he doubted he’d like if he ever met them.

“Dad?” she asked, cupping her hand over the phone.

“I’ve got to go, Alyssa, but we’re on for the weekend.” If by some act of God the murder investigation didn’t spill over into his free time.

“I’ll see you then?”

He kissed her on the cheek. “Love you, kid.”