Laying Down the Law by Delores Fossen Page A

serial-killer label. “I’m fine,” Cord assured her. “And in that call, the Moonlight Strangler never said he wouldn’t come after me.”
    There was plenty more to this argument, too.
    “Besides,” Cord went on, “even if your gut won’t let you believe Willie Lee is the Moonlight Strangler, then he’s still a violent man. And I have the scars to prove it.”
    He hadn’t meant to include that last part. It just flew out of his mouth, and it caused Addie’s eyes to fill with yet more concern.
    “What if it wasn’t Willie Lee who kidnapped you?” Karina suggested. “What if it was someone setting up Willie Lee?”
    Again, not a new argument. He could have repeated the facts to her, that there’d been no other DNA or evidence found at the crime scene to indicate Willie Lee had been set up. But Karina was as familiar with the evidence as he was.
    Addie reached out, touched his arm and rubbed it gently. Probably trying to soothe that anger inside him. It was a lost cause, but Cord welcomed it anyway.
    “Cord told me that Willie Lee worked for you and your family for a long time,” Addie said to Karina. “Would you mind if I asked you some questions about him?”
    “I don’t mind.” But Karina didn’t sound so certain of that. Probably because she’d already been grilled six ways to Sunday about the man.
    “Was Willie Lee ever mean or violent with you?” Addie continued.
    Karina didn’t hesitate. “Never. He did punch a man once, but that was to defend my honor.” Then, she paused. “Willie Lee became like a father to me after my parents died.”
    That had Addie tensing a little, and she dropped back a step. “Did he ever say anything about having children?”
    “No.” Again, no hesitation. Probably because the FBI, and Cord, had asked Karina that multiple times. “But Willie Lee didn’t share a lot about himself. Never talked about his past, and whenever it would come up in a general sort of way, he’d get this sad look in his eyes.”
    Maybe because he’d abandoned his two kids and murdered their mother. But there was enough salt in Karina’s wounds without Cord stating the obvious. Still, it could be true. During that phone conversation with Addie, the Moonlight Strangler had told her that he’d killed their mother.
    Something that still felt like a cut to the heart.
    It didn’t matter that Cord couldn’t remember anything about his mother, the Moonlight Strangler had taken her from Addie and him. And he was going to pay for that.
    Cord heard more footsteps, and a moment later Jericho came back in. “Everything okay?” he asked, caution in his voice and expression.
    “Fine,” Addie assured him. As she’d done with Cord, she went to Jericho and hugged him. “Karina and I were just talking.”
    Jericho seemed as uncomfortable with that as Cord. But there was something else in Jericho’s body language, and since he had stepped out to take the call, maybe there was bad news.
    “I’ll just be going,” Addie said, likely sensing that something was going on. She kissed both Cord and Jericho on their cheeks and added a whispered goodbye. She even gave Karina’s hand a gentle squeeze.
    Which Cord wished she hadn’t done.
    He didn’t want Karina having any more encouragement for believing Willie Lee was innocent, and even something like a hand squeeze from Addie could do that.
    Jericho didn’t say anything until Addie was out of the room. “The CSIs found some blood about thirty yards from your barn, where the attack occurred,” he explained.
    Since the layout of the crime scene was still fresh in his mind, Cord knew that could mean trouble.
    “Did you go out there in that area before the ambulance or I got there?” Jericho asked Karina.
    “No. Heavens, no. I couldn’t even stand up my legs were so shaky. And Rocky wasn’t hurt. I didn’t see any injuries on him anyway.”
    Neither had Cord.
    Damn.
    This wasn’t good because it could mean Rocky was telling the truth about