The Watcher Read Online Free

see the crime scene photos ASAP. Show her around, will ya, teach her the ropes, stuff like that.”
    Marconi gestured toward the door in dismissal. “I’ll get a deputy to set up an office for you soon as I can rustle up a place,” he added. “Welcome aboard, Doc.” He’d already returned to the papers on his desk before these last words were out of his mouth.
    Bauer scrambled to hold the door for Myers. “You can use my desk for the time being, ma’am. Uh, if you want.”
    Myers smiled sweetly. “Detective Bauer, is it? I’ll take you up on that offer, but first I’d like to examine the crime photos.”
    “Sure.” Bauer blushed and led the doctor to his work space, clearly a crush in the making.
    Slater reluctantly pulled the Johnston file folder from the battered gray filing cabinet behind his desk. Damned if he was going to toss an unknown entity into his investigation. No matter what the Sheriff said.
    Because of the high-profile nature of the case, the crime scene unit had rushed the job from the photography lab. Bauer pulled the unsteady desk chair from beneath his government-issue desk and held it for Myers. She draped her purse over the chair back and folded her hands on Bauer’s desk blotter, gazing across the short distance between the two partners’ desks which butted against each other.
    “These aren’t pretty,” he warned as he handed Myers the file folder. Bauer rolled a chair perpendicular to his desk, but avoided looking directly at the Johnston girl’s body.
    Slater studied Dr. Myers as she flipped through the pictures one by one and waited for the smooth, impassive face to respond to the horror of the teenage girl’s body. But if she reacted at all to the gruesome scene, he couldn’t tell.
    One cool cucumber, he thought. “Seen anything like this before, Doc?”
    But when she finally looked at Slater she was pale and her eyes distant and unfocused. Not as unaffected as she’d like them to think, then.
    Kate fought to control the tremor in her hand as she stared at the graphic pictures of Jennifer Johnston’s partially clothed and wounded body. It was him. The viciousness of the stab wounds, the placement of clothing on the naked body – a wave of nausea swept over her. He’d been here. Was possibly still here. After all this time, so close.
    Relief washed over her, along with the fear and excitement she always experienced when she beheld the handiwork of the monster.
    “Dr. Myers?” Detective Slater’s voice brought her back to reality. “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine,” she snapped. “When can I see the crime scene?”
    Slater put his hands up in a whoa-there gesture. “It’ll be dark in less than half an hour. You won’t be able to see anything more than what’s in the photos.”
    “Then I’d like to take the file with me and study it tonight.”
    “Pretty grisly bedtime reading.” Though his voice was mild, Slater’s sharp, gray eyes pierced her like nails. She realized he was annoyed by her request.
    She shouldn’t alienate these men before she even began working with them. “Look, Detective Slater – ”
    “Just Slater,” he interrupted.
    She wouldn’t ignore the peace offering, even if she sensed it was insincere. “Slater,” she amended patiently. “You’re right. I can look at the scene photos and study the files tomorrow.” She glanced through the folder again. It cost her to hand it back. “What about the autopsy report?”
    “The medical examiner’s working on it now, but he won’t be finished until tomorrow, early if we’re lucky, later if not.”
    She nodded. “Of course.” Standing and retrieving her purse, she slung it over her shoulder. “Well, gentlemen, I just drove straight from L.A. to Sacramento today. I’ll get settled in my motel room and see you tomorrow.” She smiled at Bauer. “Maybe you and the Lieutenant can teach me the ropes in the morning?”
    Then Dr. Myers flashed Slater that amused look again, and he noticed for