someone’s past, you won’t always like what you find.”
That was why she buried her own past.
“His sister vanished here, Dani, and he’s…” Different. Harder . She didn’t say that. “He needs closure.” That was true enough. Maybe there was something in the file—something, anything—that could help them.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Cadence could easily picture Dani in her mind’s eye, and she was sure her friend was sitting back in her chair, shaking her head. Maybe rolling her eyes. “You warned me.”
“I’m still working on gathering the intel on other missing persons. I’ll send you everything I’ve got ASAP.”
Ah, now she was back to business. That was Dani.
“I narrowed the search just like you told me. Females, traveling alone, no bodies ever recovered.”
Those had been her search specifications, and because of Kyle, she had made sure the search went back fifteen years.
She believed in being thorough.
She ended the call, opened her laptop, and found Dani’s e-mail waiting for her.
Maria McKenzie . Cadence opened the file with a click. Date of birth—May 17. Cadence hunched over the laptop.
Maria had been so young.
Cadence clicked on the attached images. Maria’s face filled her screen. A beautiful girl, with hair a shade lighter than her brother’s but with eyes just as blue.
Beautiful, and lost.
Cadence started clicking through the file.
Date of disappearance —August 23.
She’d seen the date before, back when she’d been vetting her new partner. But that date hadn’t meant anything to her, not over a year ago.
The date certainly meant something now.
Her breath froze in her lungs. What. The. Hell.
He should have told me .
No wonder Kyle was reacting this way. Going hard-core on her in the field. His sister had vanished fifteen years ago, exactly fifteen years ago, to the date of Lily’s own abduction. Two a.m . Cadence’s gaze slid to the clock as a shiver went over her. Lily had been abducted at two a.m. on August 23.
What are the odds? Kyle had asked her that question.
Now she knew… no odds are that high .
She also understood just why her partner seemed to be breaking apart on her.
He was reliving the nightmare from his past.
As soon as he’d found out about Lily’s disappearance, it must have made Kyle relive the nightmare of his sister’s abduction. He was still reliving that nightmare, and she wanted to help him. Wanted to give him some peace.
But there was no peace to offer. Only another victim, one who could still be alive…or who could already be dead by the perp’s hand.
The FBI was in Paradox. Little Paradox. And that FBI agent, the one leaning over the bar and glaring at those around him—
I know you .
Kyle McKenzie was back in town. The guy must think he was some kind of big shot. His face was sure splashed in the papers often enough. A profiler, hunting dangerous killers.
But you’ve never caught me. All these years, and you’ve never even come close .
Sharon handed the agent another beer. She was talking with him. Crying.
Like the bitch really cared about Lily. No one had cared about her. No one but me .
He eased toward the back door. The FBI agent wasn’t even looking his way. He wanted to smile. Wanted to laugh.
But he held it back, because he didn’t need to draw any attention to himself.
Then he was outside. The hot night air hit him as he glanced toward the back of the building. Lily’s parking spot was empty.
It would stay that way.
He headed for his own vehicle. The cops weren’t out hunting through the woods then, so it meant he had time to go and visit his favorite girl.
He knew Lily would be happy to see him.
She’d better be .
If she wasn’t, then he’d hurt her. Sometimes, even good girls had to be punished.
He climbed into his car, then saw the agent come out of Striker’s. The man’s body was tense. Angry.
Emotion seemed to roll from McKenzie.
The agent jumped into his SUV. Hurried
That was why she buried her own past.
“His sister vanished here, Dani, and he’s…” Different. Harder . She didn’t say that. “He needs closure.” That was true enough. Maybe there was something in the file—something, anything—that could help them.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Cadence could easily picture Dani in her mind’s eye, and she was sure her friend was sitting back in her chair, shaking her head. Maybe rolling her eyes. “You warned me.”
“I’m still working on gathering the intel on other missing persons. I’ll send you everything I’ve got ASAP.”
Ah, now she was back to business. That was Dani.
“I narrowed the search just like you told me. Females, traveling alone, no bodies ever recovered.”
Those had been her search specifications, and because of Kyle, she had made sure the search went back fifteen years.
She believed in being thorough.
She ended the call, opened her laptop, and found Dani’s e-mail waiting for her.
Maria McKenzie . Cadence opened the file with a click. Date of birth—May 17. Cadence hunched over the laptop.
Maria had been so young.
Cadence clicked on the attached images. Maria’s face filled her screen. A beautiful girl, with hair a shade lighter than her brother’s but with eyes just as blue.
Beautiful, and lost.
Cadence started clicking through the file.
Date of disappearance —August 23.
She’d seen the date before, back when she’d been vetting her new partner. But that date hadn’t meant anything to her, not over a year ago.
The date certainly meant something now.
Her breath froze in her lungs. What. The. Hell.
He should have told me .
No wonder Kyle was reacting this way. Going hard-core on her in the field. His sister had vanished fifteen years ago, exactly fifteen years ago, to the date of Lily’s own abduction. Two a.m . Cadence’s gaze slid to the clock as a shiver went over her. Lily had been abducted at two a.m. on August 23.
What are the odds? Kyle had asked her that question.
Now she knew… no odds are that high .
She also understood just why her partner seemed to be breaking apart on her.
He was reliving the nightmare from his past.
As soon as he’d found out about Lily’s disappearance, it must have made Kyle relive the nightmare of his sister’s abduction. He was still reliving that nightmare, and she wanted to help him. Wanted to give him some peace.
But there was no peace to offer. Only another victim, one who could still be alive…or who could already be dead by the perp’s hand.
The FBI was in Paradox. Little Paradox. And that FBI agent, the one leaning over the bar and glaring at those around him—
I know you .
Kyle McKenzie was back in town. The guy must think he was some kind of big shot. His face was sure splashed in the papers often enough. A profiler, hunting dangerous killers.
But you’ve never caught me. All these years, and you’ve never even come close .
Sharon handed the agent another beer. She was talking with him. Crying.
Like the bitch really cared about Lily. No one had cared about her. No one but me .
He eased toward the back door. The FBI agent wasn’t even looking his way. He wanted to smile. Wanted to laugh.
But he held it back, because he didn’t need to draw any attention to himself.
Then he was outside. The hot night air hit him as he glanced toward the back of the building. Lily’s parking spot was empty.
It would stay that way.
He headed for his own vehicle. The cops weren’t out hunting through the woods then, so it meant he had time to go and visit his favorite girl.
He knew Lily would be happy to see him.
She’d better be .
If she wasn’t, then he’d hurt her. Sometimes, even good girls had to be punished.
He climbed into his car, then saw the agent come out of Striker’s. The man’s body was tense. Angry.
Emotion seemed to roll from McKenzie.
The agent jumped into his SUV. Hurried
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