Page 86 of The Lost Bones
“Off the case?” he said in disbelief. “Are you for real?”
“No one close to me is safe.” Her voice cracked. “What if they escalate things?”
“There’s a pattern to these abductions and killings,” he protested. “I don’t fall into that.”
“Which is why not a hair on your head has been hurt,” Andrew said darkly. “But you are significant to Mackenzie. Surely the killer has noticed that.”
Mackenzie folded her arms, feeling awkward, and avoided Nick’s probing gaze.
“Perhaps it’s because he’s a trained police officer,” Rivera suggested. “And a senator’s son. The killer must have realized that going after him won’t be easy, so they’re taking their time.”
“But what’s their endgame?” Austin questioned. “How is lurking around Nick’s house and trying to get into his car going to help them?”
“What do you think?” Mackenzie turned to Andrew. Even he was slightly taken aback. She had never asked for his opinion directly. But the thought of Nick in danger was like someone was trying to carve her heart right out of her chest.
“I believe the killer is conflicted,” he replied. “Their intention has been to eliminate those who have wronged you, but your relationship with Nick is making them jealous. I think they’re… making up their mind. Trying to decipher how they feel about Nick.”
“And they may decide to hurt him?” she asked.
He nodded. “Their possessiveness toward you increases with the body count.”
“Where are we with tracking that Mack1987user?” A grimace pulled on Sully’s lips.
“Clint said tracking them electronically isn’t possible,” Peterson informed him. “But we are going through their online activity to see if it can give us any clue about their identity.”
“Redouble your efforts,” Sully instructed. “The last thing I want is to worry about Nick too.”
FORTY-THREE
Mackenzie dusted the cuffs of her shirt and rearranged her ponytail. It was late, but still she had sent uniformed cops over to Judge Hamilton’s house, asking him to meet her at the station urgently.
“Wow. You almost look like your old self.” Nick walked in the room and blinked.
“Old self?”
“Scary.” He smiled.
She rolled her eyes and then frowned. “I’m not scary anymore? I’m losing my touch.”
“Definitely not. It’s more of a switch now as opposed to your perpetual state of being.” He sat next her, pushing coffee in her direction. “I know you’ve started experimenting with it.”
She smirked and took a sip, gagging at the bitter taste.
“Ugh. How do you drink this? It tastes like expired urine.” Mackenzie handed Sterling back his latte.
Sterling chuckled, shaking his head. “Like a child.”
The memory dissolved behind her eyes. She felt nothing for him. Not a pinch of love. But sheknewhim. He wasn’t a stranger in peril.
“Mack, we’ll find him in time.” Nick snapped her out of her thoughts.
She nodded, not sure if she believed him entirely. All she knew for sure was that thinking about Sterling and how he was probably being tortured made sobs bubble in the base of her throat.
Judge Hamilton appeared at the door, dressed casually and escorted by a deputy, who let him into the conference room before standing guard outside.
“Detectives.” Hamilton nodded courteously. “What’s the matter? This is most unusual.”
Mackenzie’s face remained hard and unyielding. She had witnessed with her own eyes how debauched Hamilton truly was behind his friendly facade. Nick sat back, and she knew he wanted her to take the lead. She was always better at playing the bad cop.
