Die For Me: A Novel of the Valentine Killer (For Me 1)
“Didn’t we decide that was BS?”
The profiler’s cheeks flushed. “I’ve been working the Valentine case for three years. Three years. I now believe that with the murder of Stephanie Gilbert, his motivation changed.”
Dane’s brows snapped up.
“Gilbert’s attack wounds were more savage than those of the other victims, showing a more emotional response. I think Valentine was angry with her because he knew what she’d done to Katherine. As far as Valentine was concerned, Katherine didn’t deserve any punishment.”
“What did she deserve?”
“Protection.”
That wasn’t the answer Dane had expected.
“Trent was here yesterday shouting at Katherine. Threatening her.”
“But Valentine wasn’t here. He wouldn’t have known—”
“Control, Detective. Remember…control. Valentine will always want control over Katherine, so I suspect that he has been watching her, and those around her, very closely for some time.” Marcus’s breath shuddered out. “With Lancaster, Valentine crossed a lot of lines that he hasn’t crossed before. He broke his own rules.”
“He took the body to her.”
A slight nod. “He wanted to give her a present. Lancaster upset Katherine, Valentine perceived that the shrink had hurt her, so he—”
“Hurt the bastard back.”
Another nod. “Katherine changed Valentine. Perhaps more than I realized. Until Trent, his victims—those we know of—have been female. This evolution is showing that he feels he has no boundaries. He can and will attack anyone he perceives to be a threat to Katherine.”
“Hell.” Dane jerked a hand through his hair. “Savannah wanted to do a story on Katherine—”
“And Katherine refused, but the reporter kept pushing her.” Marcus’s lips tightened. “Another threat to Katherine that had to be eliminated.”
So how the hell had Amy Evans been a threat to her?
Marcus must’ve had the same thought. “If you dig, I think you’ll find a connection to Amy.”
A light rap sounded at the door. Then the captain came in. His face was tense as he stared at Dane. “The sonofabitch was in her gallery?”
“Yes.”
“With f**king cops right outside? Why the hell weren’t the uniforms able to stop him?”
“Because the uniforms didn’t see him. Katherine went in alone, and when she realized the lights weren’t working, she sent one of the cops to check her breaker box.” The cops should have damn well been in that building with her. They’d made a mistake that no one would be repeating. “He was waiting for her.”
“He had to get close,” Marcus said. “He had to let her know he was there, taking care of her.”
The captain’s eyes narrowed. “I want to know every single thing that man said to her. I want to know every detail.”
Dane knew they had to question Katherine. She just looked so damn fragile that he wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything would be all right.
Even if the words were a lie.
“Bring her in,” the captain ordered.
“I will,” Dane said, “but I want the two of you out.” They could watch. They could listen. But he wanted to be alone in that room with Katherine.
He had to make her relax, feel safe, and that wouldn’t happen if the profiler and the captain were breathing down their necks.
Harley gave a grim nod. “Do what you have to do.”
Dane knew the order for exactly what it was. But before he left the room, he had one more question for the profiler. “Why the f**king roses? What’s their message?”
Marcus rubbed his chin. “Originally, the roses could have been a sign of remorse. He’d taken their lives, so he gave his victims a token to remember him. But when he met Katherine…” Marcus shook his head. “Roses used to be her favorite flower, did you know that? She revealed that fact in her Boston interrogations. She even kept a small rose garden behind the house she shared with Valentine. When Valentine found out about her love for roses, the guy must have seen that as another sign that Katherine was perfect for him.”
Sick f**k. She wasn’t perfect for him and never would be.
With his jaw locked, he headed out of the room and went straight to Katherine.
Her shoulders were still hunched, and she looked so beaten. He hated that. He tried to control his rage as he reached out and touched her shoulder.
She flinched and jumped to her feet. “No!”
All eyes flew to her.
Her breath came fast and hard. Her eyes seemed desperate. Then she focused on Dane and gave a little shudder. “I-I’m sorry.”
He wanted her in his arms. Screw it, he pulled her against him. Held her tight and didn’t care who saw them. She needed him. She needed to know that someone was there for her.
And he’d damn well be that someone.
“I wanted to kill him,” she said, her stark whisper barely reaching his ears.
He wasn’t surprised by her confession. Full truth, he wanted to kill the bastard too. The badge was the only thing holding him in check.
“But he took the bullets from my gun. He figured out where I kept it hidden, and he took my bullets.”
The profiler’s words whispered through his mind once more. I suspect that he has been watching her. He had been.
Katherine stiffened in his arms. She shoved against him, catching Dane off guard, and he stumbled back.
“Stay away from me!” she told him as dark color flushed her cheeks. “You have to stay away from me!”
“Katherine?”
“If you don’t, he’ll hurt you, too.” Her whole body was stiff. Her eyes stark. “He told me. You have to stay away.”
The bastard thought he’d be afraid? Dane grabbed her hands. “That’s not happening. No one will keep me away from you.”
He heard a gasp, then looked to the side. Evelyn Knight had just been led into the bull pen. Her tear-filled gaze was on him. Katherine. Their linked hands.
Mac hurried forward and tried to steer Evelyn away, but she wasn’t moving. She just stared at Katherine.
Katherine pulled away from Dane again. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and rocked back and forth as if trying to soothe herself.
The silence in the bull pen was deafening. Dane cleared his throat. “Come on, I need to talk to you in interrogation.”
Katherine didn’t flinch. Didn’t even look at him. She just turned woodenly and headed for interrogation room one.