Chapter 52

The D.C. Reaper strikes again.A second grisly attack unfolds at Montrose Park.

Jake flipped through the channels, but each station was running a different version of the same gruesome story. He stopped scrolling when a blurry image of Dana filled the screen. She knelt between two Metro PD officers next to a shrouded body. Taking voyeurism to the extreme, the footage was so magnified the image was blown out, but Jake stood transfixed as he watched Dana. He should be there, not her. This wasn't the life she'd chosen. But he'd dragged her into it anyway.

He'd been following orders. At least that's what he'd told himself at the time. But it was getting harder to justify. Jake used to believe in what he did, believe he was serving the greater good, even if that meant walking a fine line with the law. But he was no longer balancing on a precipice between justice and vengeance. He was in freefall, and this landslide was poised to drag everyone down with him.

Jake pressed the mute button before throwing the remote across the room. It hit the wall with a satisfying crack, landing in a heap of plastic and batteries.

Claire's bedroom door creaked open. She peered out at him. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he muttered, sinking onto Dana's uncomfortable couch.

Claire's gaze moved to the shattered remote. "Do they have a suspect?"

"No."

She joined him in the living room. "Jake, you just turned the remote to roadkill. What's going on?"

"I don't know! That's the problem. I'm stuck here, doing nothing. While Dana's out there with the Grim Reaper on the loose."

Claire's eyes widened. "Do you think she's in danger?"

Jake pushed his anger down when he heard the fear in her voice. "There's no reason to think that. I'm just pissed at being sidelined. Dana's not in any harm. She's surrounded by police. Besides, that woman is tough as nails. No one knows that better than us, huh?"

Claire's pale lips pulled into a weak smile. "Where is she right now?"

"Her last text said on her way to the morgue, with Hartwell."

Claire leaned against the couch. "I still can't believe Cash is dead. I just saw him today."

"How well did you know him?" Jake asked, unable to stop the FBI agent in him.

She shrugged. "As well as you can know someone you meet at rehab, I guess. He was kind of a jerk … sorry … I shouldn't say that about someone who was just decapitated."

Jake paused, his gaze studying Claire. "Decapitated? Where did you hear that?"

She fidgeted with her phone. "I was scanning the news coverage online."

"You can't believe that garbage. It's all click bait. We're living proof of that," he said, gesturing to the vans still parked outside with their spotlights aimed at the house.

Jake had selfishly hoped the new Reaper development would take the heat off him, but so far, he hadn't been that lucky. If there was one thing D.C. had an abundance of, it was overzealous news crews.

Claire's phone buzzed and Jake watched her open her messaging app, texting a quick reply. "Who was that?" he asked.

"Betty. I called her when I saw the news about Cash. I hope that's okay."

"As long as you're not sharing information about me or Dana, I don't have a problem with it."

"Do you think …" Claire paused. "Would it be okay if Betty came over? I know this has been hard on her, too. She could bring us some take out from that Thai place we had earlier. Maybe take our mind off all of this for a bit," she added, glancing at the television.

"I don't think it's a good idea, Claire." Jake sighed when her shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry, but with the scrutiny we're under right now, it's not a good idea for anyone else to get pulled into the fray."

Claire continued to stare at the floor.

"Look, I know this is hard, but we need to lay low for a little while. But that doesn't mean we can't order take out."

Claire muttered, "Never mind. I'm not hungry," before disappearing back into her bedroom.