"I'm sensing some sarcasm there."

"Oh, no, sir. No sarcasm, as long as your work is outside of Los Angeles."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he answered. "I'm about to hit lunch, and I wanted to know if you wanted to let me know what you've found. I might be able to share some things with you, as well."

Erin opened her mouth to say she'd already eaten, but with the lunch came the information, and she sure as h.e.l.l wanted access to that. "Sure."

"I'll meet you somewhere, you got a recommendation?"

"Anywhere that isn't pizza," she said, looking sideways at the open box on her coffee table whose smell was slowly overtaking the smell of s.e.x in the room.

"Okay, then. Uh. Chinese?"

"Fine by me." She gave him an address for someplace near the station. No reason to get him lost on his second day in town. It wouldn't get him pulled off the case, and would only make pumping him for information harder.

She got dressed. Nothing like the way she was going to get dressed for Craig. This wasn't a chance to show off her body. It was a chance to get information and give very little back. She let out a breath. It was a bit rude of her, she knew, but it didn't change the fact that she was going to do it all the same.

She took the straightest route, but there was no way that she was going to beat him there. It was half the distance for him, after all. Even still, she only pulled in a moment after him, parked in next to his car, and got out wearing a long dress. She only owned a few, for the rare occasion that they got her to go to a formal dinner, and even then she felt under-dressed. Now she felt over-dressed, but she ignored it.

Playing with Roy didn't mean getting him hot and h.o.r.n.y and taking him back to her place. It meant convincing him that there was going to be something between them. She hadn't decided yet whether or not that idea was toying with him. Looking at him, he wasn't so bad, and she could certainly get used to him being around.

She scolded herself internally. It would be great. He was a good guy and all, but that didn't much matter, because he wasn't going to be around. Not for very long, anyways. So she had better not get used to the idea, because it sure as h.e.l.l wasn't going to happen, like it or not.

She straightened her dress and fixed a smile as he came around. She could see that he wasn't sure how to greet her-with a handshake, a hug, or a nod-and she let him live in the uncertainty for a minute. She enjoyed seeing him squirm, a secret pleasure that she couldn't have admitted to but couldn't deny.

Finally he came in for a hug and she accepted it, hugged him back. "You okay?"

Erin nodded. "I'm fine, why? Do I look ill?"

"Erin, your sister just died."

"I know that the FBI sent their best men just to look into it."

Roy rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "You know, you don't need to do that."

"Do what?"

"Be sarcastic all the d.a.m.n time."

"What makes you think I'm being sarcastic?"

"I know how it is, okay? I know that you guys don't like it when we step in on your cases. I'm not a politician, but I'm not an idiot. But I'm a cop, and I investigate my case, and this is my case. Has been for a year now."

"Only a year? I thought there had been murders the past four."

"You noticed that, did you? Someone should make you a detective. You're perceptive."

It was Erin's turn to roll her eyes. "Thanks, college boy."

"I took over from a Special Agent who ended up not cutting it. He couldn't turn it into anything."

"What, not enough profiling c.r.a.p?"

"Too much. He was either s.e.xually frustrated, or he was a s.e.xual s.a.d.i.s.t, and he liked his mother too much, or not enough. The d.a.m.n head-shrinkers had us jumping at every opportunity. Not enough solid police-work. But by the time I get ahold of the case, even the most recent murder sites are weeks old. Most of them years old. The trail's cold."

"So, what, you wait around until another one comes along, is that it?"

"Not exactly, no. We had bait set up to try to catch the next guy, but come on. Looking for a creep on an online dating site is like looking for a needle in a field of needle-stacks, you know that."

"Sure. So the end result is, though, you can't catch the guy soon enough, so you have to rely on trying to catch him when he strikes again."

"You're not totally wrong."

"Why the vacation?"

"It's important to get away sometimes. To make sure that you have a clear head. Why? You don't believe in being away a little?"

"I believe in closing cases and getting my work done."

They had seated already, a waitress watching them talk from the front counter but not coming to take their orders yet.

"Of course, don't we all? But that's not really a fair picture to paint, and I think you know that. It's just not feasible to do that sort of thing all the time. There's always another case. Always more work to do. You can run yourself ragged, never stopping, but at some point, are you hurting the work you're doing?"

"It never hurt my work. I kept a near-perfect clear rate, and of those, conviction rates-well, they are what they are."

"So, not as great as you wanted?"

"That's not on my head," Erin growled, flicking a hair out of her face a little too sharply. "It's the District Attorney's job at that point."

"That's sweet," Roy said. He looked up at the woman who had finally approached. "Could I get the Teriyaki Chicken, white rice?"

Erin ordered just a bit of fried rice. She still wasn't very hungry, after all. 'Big breakfast,' she claimed.

"I don't want to fight with you, Erin. I think we're close to making a break. If we're lucky, we can get whoever took your sister before he takes someone else." He leaned in close. "So I need you to stay away from that guy. That Hutchinson guy. I think he's dangerous, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Okay," she said, electing not to mention that he'd been inside her earlier that day. "Done. Anything else?"

Fifteen.

Erin's breath caught in her chest. She hadn't left her door open. She reached for the pistol that should have been at her hip. Nothing. She closed her eyes a moment to run through her options.

She had the pepperbox in her purse. That would be enough. She took it out of its holster and hefted it in her hand. Quickly practiced pulling it up into line, and then dropped it to the floor. Finger off the trigger. Safety off. Okay. She put her shoulder down and knocked the door open hard enough to hurt if someone was hiding behind it.

The door knocked loudly into the wall as she sailed past, checking the inside corner before continuing. Nothing in the kitchen area. Nothing in the living area. Nothing in the dining area. The front room was empty. Which left the uncomfortable choice. Bathroom or bedroom? She'd have to walk right past the open door to one to get at the other.

Too dangerous. Too dangerous by a long shot. Erin pressed her back against the wall, surveyed the room. Empty. It was time to pick. She turned back into the hall and shouldered open the door to the bedroom, brought the pistol up hard.

"Honey, I'm home."

Craig smiled at her from his seat at the head of the bed, his back pressed against the headboard.

Erin cursed. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you wanted to see me," he said, mimicking a pout. "Are you saying that you don't want to spend time with me any more?"

"I'm saying that you don't get to come into my apartment any time you d.a.m.n well please."

"But it was so fun."

"Get out. You want to come see me, you tell me first."

"Fine. Here, I thought I was doing you a favor here. Trying to teach you an important lesson about personal safety."

He slipped off the bed as she told him to get out, slowly taking the walk across the room. He stepped closer to her until her back was pressed against the wall, their bodies pressed together.

Erin could feel the gun pressed between them, as well. She wanted to pull the trigger. Wished that she had, more than ever. This was the guy who did it. She was sure. It was definitely the guy.

"Where you been, out in a dress like this?"

"It was laundry day," she answered. "Get out of my apartment."

Erin's phone buzzed.

"What's that?"

"Nothing."

"No," Craig laughed. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't nothing. You got someone texting you? One of your girlfriends, maybe?"

"Maybe," she answered. "Get out of my apartment."

Craig reached between them, forcing a gasp out of Erin's lips as he ran a hand up her thigh, grazing over her mound. Even through the fabric of her dress, she could feel the desire already mounting.

His hand kept moving until it closed around the barrel of her pistol. She should have fought for it, but she didn't. Instead she let Craig take it. He stepped back a bit, turned his hand over.

"Nice piece." He tossed it on the bed. "I just came by because I realized I hadn't tried your mouth yet."

"I told you to get out."

"But you're not going to make me, are you?"

"f.u.c.k you. Get out."

"Get on your knees." Craig's voice didn't raise, and he didn't sound angry, but the way he said it made her obey.

He unzipped his c.o.c.k. The memory of that c.o.c.k inside her, only a couple hours ago, made her head go a little bit light.

"You know what to do next," he growled.

Had her sister done this same thing? Erin wondered. She forced herself not to think about it. Instead, she took it in one hand, jerking it experimentally. Craig took a fist-full of her hair and started pushing. She hated it. Or, she should have. She knew she should have, even as she took his c.o.c.k deeper in her mouth, letting her tongue swirl around the head.

Instead, she found herself preening when she heard him whisper "Oh, f.u.c.k."

She found herself wanting it. This wasn't right, she wasn't like this. But it didn't change that she started bobbing her head faster, deeper, anything to get him to lose control just a little bit more. To feel herself getting the control she wanted.

"G.o.d d.a.m.n, girl."

She slurped and sucked as hard as she could, pulling him out of her mouth with a soft pop. "Do you like that?"

His fingers dug into her hair harder. "Shut up and suck my c.o.c.k."

She shut up and sucked his c.o.c.k, bobbing her head. Enjoying the feeling of him thrusting back to meet her even as she resented the h.e.l.l out of herself for it. She shouldn't have enjoyed this. The guy was exactly who she didn't need to get involved with, but here she was, kneeling and acting like his personal s.l.u.t.

She could feel his movements getting less rhythmic, could feel him trying to force harder as he approached his climax. He held her head still, now, f.u.c.king her face, his c.o.c.k trying to penetrate her throat with every thrust. He pushed in deep and she could feel him spasming as he sent rope after rope of c.u.m shooting down her throat.

She came up coughing as he pulled himself out in time to shoot another rope of c.u.m that traced a line from her chin down to where her pretty dress covered her t.i.ts.

"Good girl."

Erin growled. "Get out of my apartment."

"I'll be back," he said. "I'll see you next time."

She leaned back against the door, more angry with herself for looking forward to it. What the f.u.c.k was wrong with her? This wasn't about s.e.x, and it certainly wasn't about relationships.

She was trying to catch the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who was killing these women. Craig showed every sign of being capable of it. She reached her hand down, pulled her dress up. Instead, she was like a b.i.t.c.h in heat.

She didn't waste any time with getting herself ready. She was already as ready as she could be. If he'd decided to come back in and please himself with her p.u.s.s.y-she pushed the thought away. It wasn't about him. Wasn't about what he wanted.

She needed to feel release, needed the sweet oblivion of an o.r.g.a.s.m to wipe away the arousal that she didn't want to feel any more.

Her fingers moved in quick, short circles, forcing the o.r.g.a.s.m out through her fingers. Forcing the pleasure out of herself. She let out a soft moan, and then a louder one. It didn't matter if he left the door open. The only thing that mattered was what she needed, now.

She could feel her o.r.g.a.s.m approaching fast. She pinched a sensitive nipple, another shock of pleasure to add to the whirlwind of need that was building up in her belly as she played with her p.u.s.s.y.

Her body got tense as she raced over the edge of oblivion, circling her c.l.i.t hard and fast and chasing the pleasure as far as the trail would go. Finally she slumped over.

She needed to get out of these clothes, and she needed to catch that son of a b.i.t.c.h Craig for what he'd done to her sister.

If he'd done anything like that to her-Erin couldn't think of it. Her sister wouldn't have enjoyed it like she had. Becca was the good girl.

Erin was the b.i.t.c.h, and sometimes b.i.t.c.hes enjoyed things they shouldn't.