the Seattle Strangler. And you are the lone survivor.”
Lips compressed into a fine line. “Seattle’s over two thousand miles from here. And seven years is a long time ago.”
He took a step toward her. The dog growled. Beck met the animal’s gaze and held it until the dog looked away. “This woman was wearing a white dress, and there was a penny in her hand.”
Absently, she curled the fingers of her right hand closed. Drawing in a careful breath, she released it slowly. “I still don’t know how I can help you.”
He wondered what shrink had taught her the self-calming trick. “Tell me what you know about the man that attacked you.”
The involuntary shake of her head told him she did not want to revisit the past even for a second. “If you found me here then you know people in the Seattle Police Department. Did they also tell you that I don’t remember my attack?”
“It’s been seven years, ma’am. Something’s got to have stirred up over that time.”
She cocked a brow. “Yeah, you’d think, wouldn’t you? But I’ve remembered nothing.” Reading his doubt, she added, “I know you don’t believe this, but I’d actually want to remember . . . even the dark and scary stuff. At least if I remembered this guy I’d know if he was standing in front of me. Maybe then I could take a walk in the woods without a shotgun.”
“You always carry it?”
“I walk with it. It’s close by when I eat, and it sits by my bed when I sleep.”
“You said yourself you are two thousand miles and seven years away from Seattle.”
“I think I don’t want to be a victim ever again. So I’ve learned to take care of myself.”
He handed the shotgun back to her. “Would you be willing to come into town and talk to our forensic psychologist? She’s sharp and might do you some good.”
She crossed her arms. “How did you find me?”
“I spoke to the Seattle Police.”
Her expression showed her distrust. “They don’t know where I am.”
“Mike Raines does.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Detective Raines. How?”
Beck rattled the shells in his hands. “He’s kept tabs on you.”
She tightened her fingers around the gun barrel. “If you talked to Raines then you know he had me speak to every doctor he could find.”
What Raines had done was of no interest to him now. “My doctor is top notch.”
A cynical smile curved the edge of full lips. “This doctor might be good, and she might think she’s different and smarter than the rest, but she’s not. I’ve seen more doctors than I can count, and I’ve talked to countless cops. I suffered a concussion during the attack and don’t have memories to share; otherwise I’d have shared them years ago.”
A dozen questions condensed to one. “What’s the last image you do remember before the attack?”
She slowly shook her head from side to side. “I don’t want to answer your questions. Now get off my property, Sergeant Beck.”
The abrasive clip in her voice thinned his patience. Deliberately, he kept his voice even and precise. “I came all this way to see you.”
“You’ve wasted a trip, Sergeant Beck.”
He managed a smile that didn’t feel the least bit friendly. “This visit was a courtesy because I did not want to put you out, ma’am. But I have come here for answers.”
Her hand tightened around the gun barrel. “You have come to the wrong place. I can’t give you what I don’t have.”
“I could detain you and drive you into Austin, where we could have a more formal chat.”
“Cops . . . so predictable,” she muttered as she rubbed her temple with her fingertips. “You’ve no cause to take me anywhere.”
“Ma’am, you are a material witness in an active murder case, and I have every right to take you into Austin.”
“I don’t remember.” She sounded weary.
“Appears to me you haven’t even tried that hard.”
She tipped her head back as if struggling for patience and control. “If I had any detail I would
Lips compressed into a fine line. “Seattle’s over two thousand miles from here. And seven years is a long time ago.”
He took a step toward her. The dog growled. Beck met the animal’s gaze and held it until the dog looked away. “This woman was wearing a white dress, and there was a penny in her hand.”
Absently, she curled the fingers of her right hand closed. Drawing in a careful breath, she released it slowly. “I still don’t know how I can help you.”
He wondered what shrink had taught her the self-calming trick. “Tell me what you know about the man that attacked you.”
The involuntary shake of her head told him she did not want to revisit the past even for a second. “If you found me here then you know people in the Seattle Police Department. Did they also tell you that I don’t remember my attack?”
“It’s been seven years, ma’am. Something’s got to have stirred up over that time.”
She cocked a brow. “Yeah, you’d think, wouldn’t you? But I’ve remembered nothing.” Reading his doubt, she added, “I know you don’t believe this, but I’d actually want to remember . . . even the dark and scary stuff. At least if I remembered this guy I’d know if he was standing in front of me. Maybe then I could take a walk in the woods without a shotgun.”
“You always carry it?”
“I walk with it. It’s close by when I eat, and it sits by my bed when I sleep.”
“You said yourself you are two thousand miles and seven years away from Seattle.”
“I think I don’t want to be a victim ever again. So I’ve learned to take care of myself.”
He handed the shotgun back to her. “Would you be willing to come into town and talk to our forensic psychologist? She’s sharp and might do you some good.”
She crossed her arms. “How did you find me?”
“I spoke to the Seattle Police.”
Her expression showed her distrust. “They don’t know where I am.”
“Mike Raines does.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Detective Raines. How?”
Beck rattled the shells in his hands. “He’s kept tabs on you.”
She tightened her fingers around the gun barrel. “If you talked to Raines then you know he had me speak to every doctor he could find.”
What Raines had done was of no interest to him now. “My doctor is top notch.”
A cynical smile curved the edge of full lips. “This doctor might be good, and she might think she’s different and smarter than the rest, but she’s not. I’ve seen more doctors than I can count, and I’ve talked to countless cops. I suffered a concussion during the attack and don’t have memories to share; otherwise I’d have shared them years ago.”
A dozen questions condensed to one. “What’s the last image you do remember before the attack?”
She slowly shook her head from side to side. “I don’t want to answer your questions. Now get off my property, Sergeant Beck.”
The abrasive clip in her voice thinned his patience. Deliberately, he kept his voice even and precise. “I came all this way to see you.”
“You’ve wasted a trip, Sergeant Beck.”
He managed a smile that didn’t feel the least bit friendly. “This visit was a courtesy because I did not want to put you out, ma’am. But I have come here for answers.”
Her hand tightened around the gun barrel. “You have come to the wrong place. I can’t give you what I don’t have.”
“I could detain you and drive you into Austin, where we could have a more formal chat.”
“Cops . . . so predictable,” she muttered as she rubbed her temple with her fingertips. “You’ve no cause to take me anywhere.”
“Ma’am, you are a material witness in an active murder case, and I have every right to take you into Austin.”
“I don’t remember.” She sounded weary.
“Appears to me you haven’t even tried that hard.”
She tipped her head back as if struggling for patience and control. “If I had any detail I would
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