The Killing Ground: A Foxx Files Thriller Read online

  “He didn’t come at me. He was emphatic. The guy just lost his wife. Give him some slack.”

  “That slack could have gotten you hurt. You saw the look on his face, and you know his history.” Jordan felt the need to defend her actions. “Besides, I’m not sure I buy the whole grieving husband bit.”

  “Really?” Rebecca studied her profile until Jordan met her gaze. “I didn’t get that.”

  “I can’t put my finger on it, but I don’t like him.” Jordan’s time on the streets left her with the ability to read people. She was usually a pretty good judge of character, and she bristled at the fact that Rebecca doubted her judgment.

  “If he is the guy, he’s a pretty damn good actor.” Rebecca opined. “I bought his act. Besides, we didn’t get a hit in the Combined DNA Index System for the DNA, and Richard Hudson has a record.”

  “Had a record. As far as the CDD is concerned, his record is nonexistent, so you wouldn’t have gotten a match. But that doesn’t make him any less violent.”

  “Violent yes, but not necessarily a killer.” Rebecca felt like playing the devil’s advocate, getting under Jordan’s skin. “Besides, it seems nuts to kill seven other people, just to cover the murder of his wife.”

  “Stranger things have happened. I’m still having Matt run the sample you gave us against his DNA in the National DNA Index System.”

  Rebecca rolled her eyes and walked away leaving Jordan running to catch up.

  Jordan caught her arm. “Listen, come back with me. I had our profiler look at the case files, and I think he has some thoughts on our UNSUB.”

  “Fine, but after this, you are buying me lunch.” Rebecca’s lip curled up slightly, and Jordan felt warmth effuse her body. This new feeling of wanting more than just sex with Rebecca was quickly becoming part of who Jordan was, and she wasn’t too thrilled with it.

  “I guess I owe you at least that much…” Jordan smirked. “…for making this whole working together thing so incredibly enjoyable.”

  “Funny, smart ass. Let’s get this whole profile thing out of the way. I’m getting ready to start, and I’m totally craving something chocolate.”

  Chapter 11

  “Julien, this is Detective Rebecca Foxx with the Chicago Detective Division.”

  Rebecca stepped forward and shook hands with an attractive gentleman, whom she put at close to fifty. His hair was brown with slightly grayed temples and when he spoke, she had to keep from rolling her eyes. What was it with hiring people with foreign accents? It reminded her of commercials that used foreign actors because supposedly some survey indicated people actually bought more of a product if the actor had an accent. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Redmond.”

  Jordan directed Rebecca towards a chair and handed her a bottle of water. “So, Julien, what do you have?”

  “Well, originally I thought he was targeting lesbians, but the most recent victim changed that idea. I believe we are looking for a male in his mid to late thirties. One who is very angry and is lashing out at whoever or whatever is around him. I believe he might be suffering from some form of impotency. The thought of being less of a man has made him resentful.”

  Julien expanded his thought. “I believe that he may have been married at one time, perhaps even still married. He feels emasculated because he cannot father a child. Something happened to push him out of reality. Given the fact that the space between murders has shortened, he is losing touch with reality. It’s quite possible that his wife left him for another man, one who could get her pregnant, and he sees that as another sign of personal failure. He also believes he is above the law, or at least above getting caught. He leaves his victims in plain sight, which leads me to believe he feels superior to law enforcement. That he is too smart to get caught.”

  “What do you make of him taking the babies?”

  “He feels a certain need for the familial bond with the child. Perhaps he believes that the child is his own, perhaps filling the parental void that was left by his inability to father a child. He does it with almost tender precision, and I would guess his treatment of the fetus will border on loving. That is his one act to erase the violent death that he just committed.”

  “Violent. That fits Richard Hudson.” Jordan couldn’t help the feeling that he was involved in these cases, much more than Rebecca was willing to admit.

  “Like I told you before, that doesn’t make him our killer.” Rebecca held her gaze until a slight blush crept into her cheeks. No matter how hard she tried, she was not as immune to Jordan’s handsome looks as she wanted to be.

  “One other thing, ladies. He was interrupted when he attacked Julie Keppler. I have seen the crime scene photos from the homeless man. He is very angry that he was not able to kill his mark. He is not going to accept failure. He will try to kill her again, if at all possible. Combine that with the fact he knows that the condom with his DNA was left at the crime scene, and you have a killer who is mentally unstable at best. Julie could very well be in danger again.”

  “Have you spoken to Assistant Director Mitchell about that?”

  Julien shook his head. “Not yet. I was hoping we would not need to address that with her.”

  “I don’t want to have to, but I think you’re right. We need to make sure she is guarded at all times.” Jordan turned her gaze toward Rebecca. “I think we need to dig a little deeper and find out what Richard Hudson is hiding. I can’t shake the feeling he isn’t as heartbroken as he pretends to be.”

  Rebecca opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when her hip started to ring. Rebecca pulled her phone out of its holster and took the call. “Foxx.”

  When she finished talking, she hung up and pushed back in her chair. “Uniforms already brought Hudson to the morgue. They’re sitting on it until I get there. Wanna take me for a ride before lunch? I want to see his reaction to the body.”

  Jordan opened her mouth to answer and caught the warning look in Rebecca’s eyes. For now, she had to leave that comment alone. “Sure.” She glanced to her left. “Julien, thank you.”

  “It was my pleasure, Jordie. Detective Foxx, it was a pleasure meeting you as well.”

  Rebecca followed Jordan outside. Her eyes fell to Jordan’s shapely bottom. Standard issue, black khakis should not look that good on anyone, but Jordan made them look sexy. She unconsciously licked her lips, and somehow had the wherewithal to lift her eyes before she walked out the door. She ignored the knowing smirk on Jordan’s face, hoping she hadn’t caught her staring. Oddly enough, that was the last thing she needed, but the one thing she wanted. God, I need to get laid.

  “So, are you starting to believe me?”

  “Maybe I’m not buying the whole guilty thing yet, but I’m a slow learner.” Rebecca waited while Jordan opened the door for her, still not accustomed to being treated like a lady. “You might have to teach me.”

  “I’m a great teacher.” Jordan teased lightly. She walked around the back of the car, a smile on her face. If she didn’t know any better, Rebecca was actually flirting with her, and it felt damn good. She started the car and revved the engine loudly. Nothing like a little female attention to get the blood running hot.

  Rebecca studied Jordan closely, watching her movements. She did everything with as little wasted energy as possible. Her hand draped over the steering wheel casually, occasionally gripping it tighter to take a turn. Her eyes took in the tight muscles straining beneath her khakis. There was no hiding the fact that Jordan had a great body and when Rebecca pictured her tongue gliding over her taut skin, she shivered.

  “Cold?” Jordan reached over and turned the heat up.

  “No.” Rebecca’s face was tinged pink. “Just thinking about the case. You really think that Richard Hudson did it? It seems kind of extreme, don’t you think?”

  Jordan shrugged noncommittally. “Maybe not. However, I do think the guy is hiding something. We already know he has a temper. It may be a stretch to say he killed seven other women just to cover his wi
fe’s murder. But my gut is telling me he is dirty.”

  “Guess we will see.” Rebecca watched Jordan ease into a spot outside the morgue. She stepped outside and sucked in a breath at the rush of cold air. “I suppose it would have been too much to ask him to wait until summer to go on a killing spree.”

  “Oh yeah.” Jordan shoved her keys in her pocket and pulled her coat tighter. “When you meet a criminal who wants to do it our way, let me know.”

  Rebecca smiled. “And we’ll call it the Burger King of crime. Have it your way.”

  Jordan started laughing, and Rebecca had to admit even her laugh was sexy. She shook her head, trying to get Jordan out of her thoughts and maintain her distance. “You ever been to a morgue before?”

  “Once. It’s been a long time.” Jordan’s mind flashed back to her first year at the FBI. She and Tony Wozniak had been investigating a crime ring around the city, and one of their informants had gone missing. Turned out, he wasn’t lost, just dead. They had the unfortunate job of identifying the body, her stomach turned at the memory. It was the first time she had seen a dead body, and this one was especially gruesome. He had learned the hard way that being caught as a snitch was a very bad thing.

  “Well, you will find it hasn't changed much.” Rebecca came to a stop in front of two Chicago Police Officers. Jordan could tell from the chilly reception, this was another place that Rebecca’s presence wasn’t liked. She shook her head. It was tough to get anywhere in a man’s world. Rebecca had done it, but she hadn’t made many friends along the way. “You got him?”

  One of the uniforms nodded his head behind him. “Had to take a leak.”

  “Okay. Listen, thanks for bringing him down. I’ll handle it from here.”

  “Sure thing, Detective.”

  Jordan saw him smirk as they walked away. “Nice guys you work with.”

  Rebecca shrugged. “Some of them can be. It just depends on who you get.”

  Jordan opened her mouth to respond, but kept quiet when she saw Richard Hudson walking back down the hallways.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Rebecca offered him one more chance to refuse, knowing the scene on the other side of the doors was not something any person, let alone someone whose wife had just been brutally murdered, should ever have to see.

  “Yes. I need to see her.” His tone was quiet, but adamant.

  Rebecca led him into the examination room and nodded at Sylvia. She stopped at a table with a white cloth draped over the obvious outline of a body. Her eyes met Richard Hudson’s one more time and when he met her inquiry with a silent nod, she pulled the sheet back.

  The y—shaped incision across and down her chest was enough to catch most people off guard, and if that didn’t, the closed incisions across her neck and abdomen would certainly tell the story of her brutal death. Her skin had an unnatural grayish tint that was reserved for the very ill, or in her case, the fallen. She lay so still, that if not for the mutilation of her body, one might suppose, she was just sleeping.

  For the first few moments, Rebecca thought he might not react at all, and she had started to question his innocence, but then an ungodly moan had filled the room.

  An unnatural pallor crept over his face as his eyes took in every inch of her. She could see his hands tighten reflexively, until they were balled into such tight fists that she felt like he might lash out again. His body, once still in calm repose, visibly shook, and she thought she could feel the tremor.

  His last look at her reminded Rebecca of a wounded animal trying to understand why it had been hurt. She barely heard the uttered why before he sank onto his knees and dropped his head in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

  Chapter 12

  “Two, with mustard.” Jordan pulled her wallet from her back pocket and handed the vendor a couple of bills. “Keep the change.”

  “You know when I said you were buying me lunch, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.” The words came out almost as a stutter against the cold Chicago air. The wind blowing off the river sent chills up and down Rebecca’s spine. Truth be told, she hated winters here in Chicago. Growing up in southeast Texas meant she had never experienced a real winter aside from a few freak storms. When she had opted to go to Northwestern for school, she got the shock of her life the first winter she had been here. It was almost enough to drive her back south to the warmer, balmier Texas temperatures. Almost.

  Jordan handed her a hotdog and smiled. “Come on. You’ll love it, I promise.”

  Rebecca took the food with a shaky hand. She didn’t bother taking her gloves off, so when a glob of mustard stained her glove, she swore silently. She took a bite and moaned appreciatively. “So, it’s good, okay. Can we at least sit in the car?”

  “Nope.” Jordan smiled cryptically and pulled her closer towards the bridge on Michigan Street overlooking the river. “Gotta get the whole experience.”

  They walked until they were midway across, and Jordan leaned her elbows on the cold concrete. They could see Lake Michigan in the distance, and Jordan shivered involuntarily. Despite the cold temperatures, the Magnificent Mile was a hurried rush of people, and they ate in silence, watching the world pass them by.

  “See, I told you. It’s fucking freezing.” Rebecca stuffed the last bite of her hotdog in her mouth and chewed quickly.

  “Hungry?” Jordan said with a throaty laugh.

  “Starving. But I was afraid if I didn’t eat fast, I was going to be eating a meat flavored Popsicle, and I have to admit, I’ve never had a taste for those.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Hmm, what?” Rebecca queried.

  “Hmm, that answers one question.” Jordan finished her dog and said the next words around a mouthful. “Whether Detective Foxx is really one of the guys or not.”

  “Ahh.” Understanding dawned on her face. “You thought maybe because I didn’t fall for your tortured bad-guy act, that perhaps I liked dick.”

  Jordan laughed. “Something like that. Of course, Agent Riley will be sorry to hear that. He’s nursing a little crush on a certain beautiful redhead.”

  Rebecca studied her face as if trying to figure out if Jordan was just teasing her. An uncomfortable look broke out across her features when she realized she was serious. “Well, that will make it a little more awkward when he’s around.”

  “Don’t worry about him too much…until after the case.” Jordan caught Rebecca’s furrowed brow. “That’s when he is planning to ask you out.”

  “Argh.” Rebecca dropped her head in her heads dramatically. “God this happens all the time. Why do all the guys have to fall for the bitchy, red—headed Detective?” Her voice held just enough sarcasm to be humorous.

  “Don’t give him too much grief. It’s pretty easy to get a crush on you.” Jordan admitted with a rueful smile. “I’m sure he isn’t the only one that has fallen for the tough as nail's Detective.”

  Rebecca met her eyes and looked for a sign that this time, she was teasing her. She found none. Realization dawned on her, and she mentally chided herself for the feelings she was starting to reciprocate. This was suddenly becoming very complicated, and Rebecca didn’t do complicated.

  Jordan sensed her discomfort and changed the subject quickly. She felt a rush of warmth in that few seconds when Rebecca let her guard down. Somewhere hidden behind the mask of cool indifference, she sensed a mutual attraction and cursed the inability to pursue it. “So, tell me what got you into this business?”

  Rebecca’s husky laugh filled the air. “My dad actually.”

  “Really? One of those my dad did it, so I’ve got to follow in his footsteps things?”

  “Actually, no.” Rebecca shoved off the bridge. “Come on, let’s walk. If you’re going to force me to stand out in the cold, I need to keep moving.”

  Jordan fell into step alongside her. She took the opportunity to study Rebecca. When she looked closely, she saw light freckles splashed across her face, barely visible against her creamy skin. She wa
s just as beautiful in profile as she was head on, despite the fact that Jordan couldn’t see her green eyes, eyes that were quickly becoming hard to look into without getting lost. She stumbled over the uneven pavement and caught herself with a sheepish grin.

  “Watch that first step. It’s a doozie.” They said it in unison and broke out in uncontained laughter. “Groundhog Day!”

  Somewhere in between Jordan’s misstep and laughing over their memories of the movie, Rebecca made the mistake of looking into Jordan’s eyes. She felt herself being pulled into them, and rather than back away, she felt herself narrowing the distance. The warmth emanating from Jordan’s body enveloped her and made her blood rush wildly in her veins. Her stomach fluttered pleasantly, and it wasn’t until she felt the cold hit her moistened lips, that she remembered where she was, and she backed away shyly.

  She heard her ragged breathing and could tell from Jordan’s sudden silence, that she had affected her as much as Jordan had affected her. “I…I…where was I?”

  Jordan stepped closer and brushed a red strand behind her ear with such gentleness that Rebecca thought her knees might fail her. The naked hunger staring back at her unnerved her even further, until she had no choice but to run for safety.

  When Jordan finally caught up to her and put a hand on her arm to stop her, she shook it off with more force than she meant to. “Everything okay?”

  “Yes.” Rebecca forced herself to nod affirmatively. “I just needed to warm up.” She knew that was a lie. If anything, she needed to cool off. She mentally willed her heartbeat to slow down.

  “We can go back to the car.” Jordan offered softly. Right now, if Rebecca had said she wanted to go to the moon, Jordan would have built her a spaceship to get there.

  Rebecca shook her head. “No, let’s just walk.” She wasn’t ready for the intimacy being alone in the car would give them. “So, what were we talking about?”

  “You were telling me about your dad and how you decided to be a Detective.”