Worst Case (Michael Bennett 3)

The PD’s lab had still been working on the body by the time the task force meeting wrapped up. Mike had told her they’d had to cut off the top of the freezer with a Sawzall in order to get Chelsea out.

There was something so disturbing about this killer. Most serials went out of their way to avoid attention, Emily knew. This one seemed to relish it. It was as if he wanted to rub their noses in what he was doing.

What had he said? “Tell Mom I said hi.” Even for a sociopath predator, the callousness and arrogance of it was mind-blowing. This guy wasn’t just confident, he was cocky. With the exception of letting the one drug dealer spot him, he hadn’t made a single mistake.

Twenty laps later, Emily Parker carded back into her room and called home.

“How is she?” she asked her brother, Tom.

“You’re going to love this, Em. Today, one of Olivia’s knucklehead boy classmates overheard the teacher call her Olivia Jacqueline and then proceeded to call her OJ Parker for the rest of the morning.”

“That little bum,” Emily said.

“No, wait,” her brother said, laughing. “The kid’s name is Brian Kevin Sullivan, so the Olive dubbed him BK Sullivan. Now everybody calls him Burger King Sullivan. How do you like that? I think Burger King is going to think twice next time he wants to mess with the Olive.”

Emily couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Where is she now?”

“She’s in bed. Her My Twinn doll came for a sleepover tonight, so quarters are a little tight. She wanted to remind you that the American Girl store is on Fifth Avenue. And to make sure you say hi to Eloise at the Plaza Hotel.”

“Done,” Emily said, feeling a lightness in her heart that was sorely needed. “You’re the best uncle who ever lived, Tom.”

“Don’t forget the best brother,” he said. “Stay safe.”

As she hung up, she noticed that someone had left a message. Listening, she heard Mike’s voice, and she called him back.

“What now?” she said when he picked up.

“Nothing,” Bennett said. “I just wanted to let you know that there haven’t been any kidnappings in the past half hour.”

She thought of him. Their lunch, the wonderful dinner with his family. She sat staring at the utter loneliness of her room, her life. She hadn’t even thought of getting involved with anyone since her husband had abandoned ship. The more time she spent with Mike, though, the more she was starting to consider the possibility.

“Where are you now, Mike?” she discovered herself saying.

What the hell was she doing!

“I can’t hear you. One of these kids is screaming bloody murder. Hang on. There. I’m in the kitchen now. What did you say?”

Emily thought about it. She had to stop. A cop? In another city? How the hell would that work?

“Nothing,” she said. “See you in the morning, Mike.”

Chapter 34

I STOOD THERE in my kitchen, staring at my cell phone.

There had been a moment there between us, some kind of hovering opportunity, but goddammit, I’d missed it somehow.

Still, it was nice just hearing her voice. Not as nice as seeing her face, but almost. She was a good cop, good for a laugh, and good-looking. All good, in my book. I felt like we’d known each other for two years instead of three days.

My phone rang while I was still standing there, pining like one of my love-struck tweens. Back to reality, Casanova, I thought.

It was my boss, Carol Fleming.

“Mike, I just heard some City Hall flack came by the task force for a copy of all your reports. You have any idea what the deputy mayor would want with them?”

“Unfortunately,” I said, “we banged heads with Hottinger when the Dunning kid was snatched. She’s probably just trying to make trouble for me, boss. Looking for something to jam me up.”