16

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The anger onAva'spretty face isclearwhen I arrive at the crime scene. Her cheeks are flushed like a crushed rose, andher dark eyebrows are tensed in a frown. I try to ignore the tight feeling in my stomach as I look at her.

It feels dangerously like desire. I am not allowed to feel desire for her.

Butit'snot just thatputtingme on edge tonight. That, or the crime scene in front of me.

Something happened yesterday. I know that.

I recallAva"sdeclaration of quittingtherapy,the sound of the door slamming shut, but after that,it"sall… hazy. I must have returned home and drifted off to sleep at somepoint,because I woke up this morning in my bed, just like any other day.

Perhaps the sleeping pillsI"vestarted taking are having astrongereffect on me than I initially thought.

Ava points an accusing finger, stepping closer toward me."Come to convince me tocome backso you can poke around in my brain some more? This is a closed, confidential crime scene. Law enforcement only."

"That'senough, Cain,"Hawkins interjects."I asked Dr Keller to be here."

Ava spins around to stare at him."What?!"

"Itried to tell you earlier before you pursued the suspect."Hawkins lowers his voice, glancing at me."Look, I initially had reservations about this. But I asked Dr Keller to unofficially help shed some light on theperp'spsyche and MO. And apparently, Kellerisn'tyour therapist anymore."

She scoffs, ignoringHawkins'dig about quitting therapy."You want him to consult? We have forensic psychologists for that. What makes you think a private practice shrink like Keller is equipped to do this?"

"He'shelped me before, Cain.On a case before you evenmaderank as detective,soI advise you to watch your tone."

She bites her lip, stifling the urge to voice her complaints. These are cops; they operate in a culture of enduring whatever is thrown at you, regardless of whether you agree with it or not.It'stoxic, certainly. But Ican'texactlycast judgement whenI'mlooking at one of my patients with the most unprofessional feelingsI'veexperienced.

"Youdon'tneed to interact with each other,"Hawkins says."Dr Keller is just here to observe and report back to me.That'sfinal, Cain."

Hawkins disappears to talk tosomeother cops, and I turn to Ava.

"Iapologize, Detective."My tone is measured, but the look in her eyes is distracting. They glint an enticing, feisty gray."I was under the impression that the Captain had cleared this with you already. Idon'twant to make you uncomfortable. My responsibility as a therapist comes before my assistance on this case."

She twists her mouth to the side.

"Like Hawkins said,you'renot my therapist anymore, right? Itwouldn'tbe the first conflict of interest in police history. But Idon'tthink he has much to say about his midlife crisis or his issues with his father, soyou'reprobably not going to be much help here."

She nods toward thevictim'smotionless body. I suppress a smile.

Several years ago, I extended my services to treat cops, which led to me getting to know Hawkins over time. It was nearly a year later when he—at hiswit'send about an unsolved case—asked me totake alook at the file, and found my analysis of ituseful.

"What's your diagnosis, Doc?"

Ava is staring me down, daring me to comment.There'sa crackle of electricity between us.

But I should be keeping my distance. I step aroundher, about to walk away.

"Like the Captain said, we don't need to interact while I'm here. I don't want you to feel as if I'm overstepping your boundaries. I'm going to go over the notes Hawkins has compiled. I'll keep out of your way, I promise."

Ava sidesteps, her little body blocking me."Wait a minute. I want to seewhat'sso special about the great Dr Keller that our Captaindecided to bringin a therapist to look at the crime scene."

She'sstaring up at me with steely determination, daring me to play her game. Shedoesn'tjust nod and listen when I speak. She wants to challenge me.Which only makes itall the more fascinating when I see those flashes of vulnerability within her.

I know I should just back off. But it's like my instincts are fighting my logical brain and for once, winning out.

I exhale, answering her."All I can do is look at the scenefrom a psychological perspective. I attempt to envision the thoughts and emotions of the killer. Look for any indications of psychiatric conditions.It'llbe easier onceyou'vebuilt a profile for the perpetrator."

She folds her arms."Yeah, well. Until then, what do you think?"

"I'dsuspect it was someone with a keen interest in symbology. It feels ritualistic. The removal of the eyes, then their dissection. It evokes the feeling of an ancient punishment."

"You think it was revenge."

"Like I said, Detective, Ican'tsay with confidence until I know more. Butwhat'syour reading?"

She shrugs, brushing off my question."Maybehejust killed for the love of killing."

"Ah, you suspect he took pleasure in the murder."

"Well,"she quips,"for murders with no obvious motive, thensomeone'susually getting their rocks off."

I raise my eyebrows."You truly believe that for this case?"

She slowly shakes her head."To be honest, no. Not this one. This one was personal."

"Why do you think so?"I counter.I'msuddenly fixated with the need to see whereshe'sgoing with this. A strange sensation of pleasure is swelling in me as I watch her speak.

"This is the same killer as the Orion Vale case. Idon'tneed to wait for thepathologist'sresults to know that."

"How do you know that?"

"You like art, right, Dr Keller? You ever go to a gallery and see a piece, and without looking at the little sign next to it, you know just who painted it?"

"Of course."

"Well…" She pauses.

I finish her sentence for her."This is your art. Like you said in our last session. In a twisted sort of way."

Her eyes widen at mequotingher perfectly."Right. I canjust tell thatit'sby the same person who killed Vale."

"You can sense his signature style."

She nods. "And he only makes masterpieces."

Something clenches uneasily in my chest. What hidden depravity is Ava concealing that lets her view this bloody scene as a masterpiece? And why does it fill me with an overwhelming urge to bridge the distance between us?

She bites her plump bottom lip as she catches my stare. A flicker of guilt crosses her face before she recomposes herself.

"Ididn'tmean to implyit'sa masterpiece.I just meant thatit'sgot an elaborately planned outdesign, unlike most murders."She forces a smile, laughing awkwardly."I forgotI'vegot to be careful what I say to a shrink."

I smile back."Today,I'mnot your shrink.I'mjust someone else looking at this crime scene. And I agree with you, Ava. Idon'tthink this is the act of an insane killer with no tether to reality. I thinkhe'ssending a message. But what is it?"

"He implied the last victim was a devil. This one, he blinded."

"Justice is blind,"I offer."Or an eye for an eye."

"Or maybe this man represented blindness to the killer."Her expression hardens."Maybe he looked the other way."

Watching her mind work is fascinating. She leans forward to look at the victim, her body nearing mine.She'sclose. Too close. Close enough to reach out and touch with only a slight flex of my fingers.

A spark of electricity crackles in the tight space between us.

Heat instantly runs through my bloodstream. Hot and dark. My groin tightens.

A voice whispers at the back of my mind. It feels like poison, butit'stoo loud to ignore.

Take what's yours, Jackson.

Steal Ava away.

Make her see the truth about herself. Let her show you the truth about youtoo. Put your hand around her throat. Suspend her from the ceiling. Fuck her untilshe'sa broken mess. Make her come again and again and again—

I exhale sharply, stepping back from where Ava stands.

A series of facts crystallize in my mind as her eyesrise tomeet mine.

I want Ava Cain.

I'mforbidden from acting on that desire.

Her presence is stoking whatever darkness lives inside me.

I slip the notes Hawkins gave me into my bag, quickly turning back toward the exit.

She looks at me in surprise."You'releaving?"

Is there a tint of disappointment in her voice?

But Idon'tturn back as I walk away."I'velearned everything I need to know."