By
Whitley Gray
BLURB:
Detective Beck Stryker has a lot to juggle: his
long-distance relationship with FBI profiler Zach Littman, the family issues of
cop widow Marybeth Halliday and her two boys, and the ups and downs of being
out and proud. To top it off, Beck must work with his closeted ex-lover Van on
the case of a skeleton discovered in the woods.
FBI profiler Dr. Zach Littman has been working on an exit strategy for months. Every time he’s on the brink of resigning, Minneapolis Unit Director Sands comes up with “one more case,” one that only Zach can manage. It’s a situation that frustrates Beck. Zach has promised he’ll leave the FBI and profiling behind—as soon as his Colorado medical license comes through. It may be easier said than done. Zach has reservations about uprooting his life and moving to Denver.
A killer leaves a grisly invitation insisting Zach participate in a deadly game, the rules of which are known only to the psychopath. It’s clear he won’t stop until he’s taken out Zach. It’s a race against time for Beck and Zach to capture the killer before the psychopath finds Zach and declares Game Over.
FBI profiler Dr. Zach Littman has been working on an exit strategy for months. Every time he’s on the brink of resigning, Minneapolis Unit Director Sands comes up with “one more case,” one that only Zach can manage. It’s a situation that frustrates Beck. Zach has promised he’ll leave the FBI and profiling behind—as soon as his Colorado medical license comes through. It may be easier said than done. Zach has reservations about uprooting his life and moving to Denver.
A killer leaves a grisly invitation insisting Zach participate in a deadly game, the rules of which are known only to the psychopath. It’s clear he won’t stop until he’s taken out Zach. It’s a race against time for Beck and Zach to capture the killer before the psychopath finds Zach and declares Game Over.
EXCERPT:
The girl lay on a centrally positioned steel
table, face white as a shroud. She looked nothing like the young woman who had
sat on the porch that day. Elmo and the autopsy tech stood next to her. The
assistant was male, slightly built, with inky hair pulled back in a ponytail.
His dark gaze met Beck’s and darted away.
A mask hid the lower half of Elmo’s face.
“Evening, Detective.”
Beck stopped a yard away. It was still close
enough for him to see the dead stare of dull gray-blue eyes, the gaping chest
wound where the sternum should be, and the multiple stab wounds—some running
vertical, some horizontal, some diagonal.
Murder seemed more heinous in this antiseptic
atmosphere, the dead laid bare to reveal their secrets. Get it over with and get out of here. “What did you find?”
“The heart is missing. It’s not just chopped out.
It’s excised, like the killer had some sort of medical knowledge. It’s a
precision job.”
Jesus.
Was the Follower a physician?
The diener glanced at Quick, then at Beck.
Should they be talking in front of the tech? The
more people who knew, the more likely the case would spring informational
leaks.
As if reading Beck’s mind, Quick said, “Please get
the inventory forms, Mr. Fox.”
The tech turned and exited.
“And the second finding?” Beck wasn’t sure he
wanted to hear this.
Elmo frowned. “It’s more disturbing.”
Beck’s gut clenched. More messages to Zach?
Elmo gestured with a gloved hand. “I did the
autopsies on three of Xavier Darling’s victims.”
This couldn’t lead anywhere good.
Elmo’s expression softened. “I know you didn’t
work those cases. But you should know—the technique used to remove the heart is
similar.”
Beck battled the surge of panic that welled in his
chest. Similar. Were they dealing
with a Darling wannabe?
Whitley Gray -- Official Author Website
Whitley Gray -- Official Author Website
No comments:
Post a Comment