Page 51 of Closer Than You Know

The Messenger had worn a mask. Made sense his surrogate would do the same. Vera committed the detail to memory and moved on.

“Did he wear gloves? Long sleeves? Did you see any exposed part of his body?” Vera took a breath. She needed to slow down. Otherwise, she’d spook Baker. She was damned well spooked herself. But she needed the whole story.

“He wore gloves. Long sleeves ...” Nolan frowned. “Like a sweatshirt. I didn’t see anything other than the mask and the sweatshirt.”

Vera moistened her lips, struggled to calm her frantic heart. “What did his voice sound like?”

“Deep. Smooth.” Nolan’s gaze locked with hers. “He sounded intelligent. Well educated. He didn’t use any contractions or slang terms—very proper grammar. His tone was condescending.” He shuddered. “Like I was completely irrelevant beyond his plan for me.”

Gloria Anderson had talked about the way he made her feel worthless. Irrelevant. It was his way ... Vera knew firsthand.

“Thank you, Nolan. Noticing those sorts of details is really important to an investigation.” Vera gave him a moment to relish the compliment. “Did he tell you anything else? Anything at all.”

He searched her eyes, his own showing a building agitation. “You swear you won’t tell anyone else.”

“I swear I won’t tell anyone else unless what you’re about to say will protect another potential victim.” That was as close as she could come to giving him what he wanted.

“He said all he wanted was you. He wouldn’t hurt anyone else. Just you. He said delivering this message to you was the only reason I was going to live.”

Tension tightened in her throat. Just like Gloria Anderson. He’d given her basically the same message to pass along. “Why didn’t he want you to tell Sheriff Benton or anyone else?”

“He said they would put you in protective custody and then he couldn’t get to you.”

Made sense. “So you did as he said and didn’t tell the sheriff those details.”

Nolan nodded. “Exactly like he said.”

Wow. Nice to know her life was so low on this guy’s priority scale. “What would you get in return for keeping his secret?”

“An exclusive,” Nolan whispered. “Once he had you, he would do an interview without the mask.”

And this chump believed him. Jesus Christ. This was why Nolan Baker hadn’t been tortured the way the others had been and was still alive. Not because the Messenger’s minion—whoever the guy was—had any intention of going easy on him, but because he intended to lure him back in for the kill. That had to be providing a whole new level of excitement and anticipation. The torture and eventual kill could wait for the big finale—double the pleasure.

“Okay.” Vera produced a smile, no matter that she wanted to bop Nolan upside the head. “I’ll be ready for him.”

Concern stole across the little shit’s face.

“Don’t worry,” she assured him, “not to prevent you from getting your story. I’ll make sure you get that. I just want to survive to tell it.”

He blinked. “Sure. Of course.”

Bent would be pissed she’d kept this from him, but it was the only way to avoid having a dozen deputies swarming her at all times. She needed the opportunity to draw out this bastard.

Nolan moistened his lips, glanced at the table next to his bed. “Do you mind giving me a drink of water?”

Vera forced a smile. “Yes, I do mind.”

She walked out of the room, nodded to the deputy, and then headed out the same way she’d come in.

No sooner had she settled into her SUV than another vehicle rounded the corner of the building. The hearse from Barrett’s Funeral Home. Curious, Vera watched until the long black Cadillac funeralcoach was parked. The driver wouldn’t have seen her SUV, since the maintenance truck sat next to her. The driver’s side door of the hearse opened, and a figure emerged. Black scrubs. Short, spiky blond hair.

Eve.

Damn it. Vera got out of her SUV and headed in her sister’s direction. As soon as she was close enough, she hissed, “Eve!”

Eve whirled to face her. “Hey.” She glanced around. “What are you doing here, Vee?”

Vera waited until she was toe to toe with her. “I suspect I’m here for the same thing you are.”

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