No one ever need know that it was all a huge, elaborate lie.
* * *
They ended up in a small nightclub a block from her hotel. Ash let Jules lead the way. She apparently had an agenda and her story mapped out well in advance. He would play it her way for now. Would she dig a hole with her lies that she couldn’t get out of, or did she have an exit strategy?
It had crossed his mind that seduction was part of her agenda. Sex was often a prerequisite to getting information from a target. That would be no hardship. He wouldn’t give up any intel, but if she wanted to give it a try, he wouldn’t object.
The instant they entered the popular nightclub, he reversed his opinion. This was not a place for the distraction of seduction. It was a place of avoidance. Did she think she was finished sharing for the night? If so, she was wrong.
Without telling her why, Ash walked away from her and had a few words with the manager. Less than a minute later, they were ushered to a small private room in the back.
Though she looked a little discombobulated, she rallied quickly and gave him a quick smile. The room was set up for a small private party, with just a few chairs and tables. The music was less loud here, too. At least he could hear himself think.
They ordered drinks he suspected neither of them wanted. Their dinner conversation had been a prequel. Now he wanted it all. She would either lay it on the table for him, or he’d walk away. Yeah, he’d have some regrets. She was the most intriguing woman he’d met in years. Didn’t mean he was a fool.
“It’s time to be straight with me, Jules. You’ve told me what you want me to know. Now, I’m ready to hear what I want to know.”
The flare of confusion in her eyes was real. “I’m not sure what you mean. I’ve answered all of your questions, and I—”
“Yes, you’ve given me answers to my questions. So we’ll start there. Tell me how a small-town girl from Tennessee became a hunter of serial killers.”
Ah, there it was. For the first time, he knew he had truly stumped her. Oddly enough, he felt no triumph. What she did was damn dangerous and incredibly brave.
“How did you come by that information?”
At least she hadn’t tried to deny it…he had to give her that. “I think you underestimate OZ’s network of intel.”
“I didn’t think so, but apparently I have. Only a handful of people, if that, know about my involvement. Mind telling me who gave you this information?”
“Like I said, Jules, I have a good network.”
She opened her mouth, most likely to ask another question, but Ash held up his hand. “Let’s cut to the chase. If you really want to work for OZ,
answer the question.”
She looked away for a mere second, and he prepared himself for another lie. When she turned back to him, he saw something different in her eyes. He knew that this time at least he was actually going to get the truth.
“The first one was by sheer accident. I happened to be in Baton Rouge on a job.” She shrugged. “Attempted-bribery case. They wanted an independent investigator to sit in on an interrogation. I was headed to the airport and stopped at a service station to fill up my car before returning it to the rental agency. I saw this guy inside the store eyeing two young women who had also stopped for gas. I didn’t like the way he was looking at them and thought I’d just walk over and have a talk with him. Just to see what he might say.”
Saying her actions were stupid was probably not the best way to get her to keep talking, so he held back his words and gave a nod of encouragement.
“The closer I got, the more skittish he seemed. There was no mistaking that he was hiding something. He turned away quickly, like he didn’t want me to see his face. That definitely caught my attention.
“I read all sorts of newspapers and online reports. It’s a hobby of mine. So I knew about the murders. Four teenage girls in the area had disappeared over the past couple of years. Three of them had been found dead. One of them survived but could give very few details. Her description of the killer was vague, but she did remember one distinctive characteristic.”
“What was that?”
“He had a scar across his neck, as if he’d at one time been strangled with a garrote. When he turned away to avoid me, the collar of his shirt shifted, and I saw the scar.”
“What did you do?”
“I knew if I pulled out my phone and called someone, he’d see me and run. I had a choice to make. So I did take out my phone, but I walked around to the back of the building as if trying to get away from him. I took the chance that he would follow me to shut me up.”
“And that’s what he did?”
“Yes. He was middle-aged, not terribly fit. I was able to take him down with little effort.”
He doubted it had been as easy as her explanation implied. Murderers didn’t give up easily, and serial killers knew how to kill. That was what they specialized in, after all. Still, he didn’t ask for details. He’d already determined that she was well trained and quite likely lethal.