But I’d say you’ve got a serial.”
“Yeah. Wonderful.”
Rita motioned with her head to Samantha as she walked toward them. “Who’s your partner?”
Tori waited just a second until Samantha joined them. “Sam Kennedy. Rita Spencer,” she said.
“It’s Samantha,” she said, shaking hands with the other woman. “Same as before?”
“Most likely.”
Samantha nodded, then looked at Tori. “Mrs. Perez says her name is Crystal. Says she comes into the bakery every morning when they open. Seven,” she said in response to Tori’s raised eyebrows. “She doesn’t know where she lives. She walks north when she leaves.”
Tori nodded. They had nothing. Well, except the fact that the girl wasn’t dumped last night. Tori had seen her at one. She turned without a word and walked away.
Chapter Five
Tori drove through the city, all four windows of her Explorer down. The air was cool. Once the sun had set, the springlike temperatures had disappeared. She didn’t care. She was too damn tired. She bypassed her small apartment in South Dallas and headed to Fort Worth. She needed to rest. She’d had only a few hours’ sleep each night for the past week. Taking the Loop, she headed west, out of town, toward Eagle Mountain Lake. She hadn’t been to her boat in three weeks, since the first murder. But tonight, she needed the peace and quiet that the lake offered.
The marina was deserted by the time she got there. She punched in her code and walked through the gate, her footsteps quiet as the water rippled silently around the piers. She walked to the end, where her boat was docked, pausing to stare up at the twinkling stars before boarding. Flipping on the pier light, she slid open the glass door, leaving it cracked to let in fresh air. She grabbed a beer, drinking nearly half before heading to the tiny shower. She stood under the slow stream of hot water and closing her eyes, she tried to relax.
Later, she pulled a lawn chair out on the deck and sat, watching the stars overhead and listening as the water splashed gently against her boat. She reached for the bottle of wine that sat next to her chair and she refilled her glass, setting it back down without looking.
Two dead girls. No clues. She tipped her head back. Probably going to be more dead girls. Hell of a way for her new partner to get her feet wet.
She lifted one corner of her mouth in a smile. Samantha Kennedy. Well, she was definitely the prettiest partner she’d ever had. And after two days, Tori knew she wasn’t going to run her off. Probably just as well. She’d had a lot worse. At least the woman was willing to follow her lead and not buck her at every turn. Again she grinned. Well, it wasn’t like she’d given her a choice. She did, however, suspect that Samantha Kennedy had a temper. That could be fun.
“I’m just tired, Robert. I’m sorry,” Samantha murmured as she rolled onto her side. She just didn’t have the energy to make love. She’d barely made it through dinner.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s just that we haven’t seen much of each other this week. I miss you.”
“Me, too. We’ll have the weekend, Robert.”
She felt him nod, and she closed her eyes. Sleep claimed her immediately.
Chapter Six
Tori sipped her coffee and watched as Sam made her way through the squad room. Pressed navy pants today, she noted. Matching blazer. It made her green eyes look blue.
“Exactly what time do you get to work?” Samantha asked. She tossed her purse on her desk and grabbed her coffee cup.
“Early.”
“It’s seven-thirty,” she said as she walked away.
“Earlier than that,” Tori murmured.
Samantha came back and pulled out her chair, grimacing at the taste of the coffee. She should have stopped on the way.
“Please tell me you didn’t drive around the streets again last night,” Samantha said.
“No. I was tired,” Tori said. She snatched up the phone. “It’s Hunter. Jackson in yet?” She stared at Sam,