Chapter Four

The things Andrew saw glued themselves on his brain, and sometimes the glue was extra strong. Those that remained motivated Andrew to keep digging, which was why he studied the case file. Again. He wasn't sure how many times he'd looked it over, but he'd keep going until he found something new.

The case file sat open on his desk. He had it turned to the photographed scene at the liquor store. Every page added another puzzle piece, and every sheet of paper and photo told a tragic story.

Andrew knew damn well that wasn't the scene of the crime but just a secondary location. No, the actual offense had happened somewhere else. A vehicle maybe. Somewhere private and secluded.

The rape hadn't occurred in the same place the first one had. He knew that much. The perpetrator hadn't moved the first victim to a secondary location. He'd left her like garbage right where he'd assaulted her.

Andrew had already figured out the perpetrator was a citizen of Pickleville, not that he'd share that with the rest of the population. No point in causing panic or worse, a lynch mob hell-bent on vigilante justice. That may very well kill the wrong person. And since he didn't have enough evidence to suspect anyone, except for maybe the Wesley guy who'd spent time with the latest victim, he'd keep the problem as contained as possible.

Was he trading victims for peace? He hoped not.

Andrew tapped the ballpoint pen on the desk calendar. The number twenty-one square took the brunt end of the nervous gesture.

The station was a big open room with three jail cells at the back, which hardly ever got used. The only other rooms were a kitchen, bathroom, interview room, and Andrew's office. When Andrew had his door open, he could see most of the station. Olivia and Foley had desks that faced each other. And Stella, their secretary, sat near the front counter. Foley plucked at a keyboard with one finger. His face was so close to the computer screen, Andrew had a hard time believing he could see it.

Foley was middle-aged and good at being a small-town cop. He knew the people, so a lot of the time, he could head off domestic destruction before it became more significant. He had a way of talking to a person that put them at ease. Whether it was his deep voice, the logic laced through every sentence, or a combination of the two, even the most agitated person calmed within minutes. Andrew hadn't met a kinder person than Foley, but nice didn't exist if he got interrupted in the middle of a report. For that reason, Andrew would leave him to finish the task and ask what he'd found out about Wesley later.

He needed to talk to Olivia anyway. "Liv."

Whatever ran through her mind, took up the majority of her attention. Even when she turned in his direction, she remained in her head. "Huh?"

Andrew shut the file before standing. He grabbed his keys and left the office. "Let's go."

Olivia stood and grabbed a piece of paper as she followed him out. "I'll drive. I know where Melanie Shuhmacher lives."

Andrew smiled.

Olivia was nothing if not perceptive. She even read Andrew well, and he didn't make it easy for most people. That particular trait made her good at her job. She was a little green, but she was eager, and that made up for it. That and her intelligence. She was smarter than everyone at the station, including Andrew. Her perceptiveness also kicked in her emotions regarding the case. Andrew worried it would cloud her judgment.

Andrew didn't know for sure why she had a connection, but he would bet she identified with the victims in the worst possible way. He hoped he was wrong for her sake. Time would tell if it would affect her. So far, it made her better, not worse.

His car sat in the public parking lot along with both police cars. There were a few other cars in the lot, and he recognized them all. After months in Pickleville, he should.

Nothing was worth his attention except for Kyler Huffington, jingling keys in his hand as he jogged across Main Street in gray coveralls. He walked toward a blue sedan that sat at the front of the lot.

He had his long dark hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. His brown eyes narrowed as he darted his gaze toward Andrew and Olivia, but otherwise, he ignored them. Or, more precisely, he ignored Andrew.

Kyler's coveralls made him shapeless and boxy, but Andrew remembered what lay underneath. He remembered everything about Kyler, down to how smooth his skin had felt. The way he'd moaned, and his responsiveness. It all came back, haunting Andrew every time he caught a glimpse of Kyler around town.

"I'll be right back."

He didn't bother waiting for her response as he jogged across the lot.

Kyler had the door open and had just sat in the driver's seat by the time Andrew closed the distance. Kyler started the engine and stared straight ahead when Andrew made a gesture to roll down the window. He visibly sighed, and then the glass slid down. "What can I do for you, chief?"

Andrew leaned inside the open space until he was inches from Kyler. He smelled of motor oil, but underneath that was the scent Andrew associated with their one night together. Vanilla and coffee. He couldn't have a cup of joe and a cookie without the memory flooding him.

"Is there a reason you're taking Mr. Bivens' car?"

"Yes." Kyler turned his whiskey-colored eyes onto Andrew. The narrowing never changed, but Kyler's patience level had. His attitude had soured since the last time they had spoken. That had everything to do with Andrew running away from his feelings. "Jack needs an alignment and an oil change."

"You're not stealing it, carino?" Andrew smiled, ignoring the icy response. He had meant it as a joke, but the way Kyler stiffened spoke better than words that the joke fell flat.

"If I told you to go fuck yourself, would you arrest me?"

"You in handcuffs." Andrew grinned.

Kyler put the car in gear and stared straight ahead. "You don't get to do that, asshole."

Shit. "Do what?"

"Flirt. You lost that privilege when you fucked me, left in the middle of the night, and never called me afterward even one time." Kyler's pretty lips turned into a thin line, and his jaw muscles jumped. "I got the message loud and clear, Chief. Now you should too."

The car rolled backward, forcing Andrew to step away or get run over. Andrew sighed and shook his head. He watched as Kyler pulled out of the parking lot and into one of the garage bays at the auto-mechanic's shop across the street.

His view of the garage bay showed everything. Kyler didn't get out of the car right away, and when he finally did, he slammed the door behind him so hard Andrew heard it even from across the road. He went right into the arms of Luis Flynn, which made Andrew grind his teeth.

Andrew turned to Olivia's car, crossing the lot. He got into the passenger's seat.

Olivia had already turned the engine over, and the car had just started to warm. She put the car in gear and backed out of the parking space.

"Seatbelt, boss." Olivia eyed him with no small amount of humor.

Andrew huffed and pulled the belt across himself. The silence stretched as she pulled out of the lot and onto Main Street. "Say whatever it is you're gonna say."

Olivia chuckled. "You're a player. But you like him."

Liking Kyler wasn't a problem. "I'm not a player."

"Yeah? Well, your face doesn't hide much when you look at him."

Shit. "I suppose you have some advice."

Olivia snorted out a laugh. "I'm the last person who should give you relationship advice."

Andrew shook his head. "We're not in a relationship."

"So, it's like that?"

"I'm not good at relationships." Not that he knew for sure. He hadn't wanted anything serious before. The logical part of him wasn't sure he was relationship material. And then there were the Kyler dreams.

Small town life hadn't changed the stress level of his job, especially with a rapist roaming the streets. He had to concentrate. Keep his head down and catch the person responsible before anyone else got hurt. He didn't need a distraction. Maybe after they found the perpetrator, he'd try reconciling with Kyler.

"You could do worse than Kyler."

"He's young and a delinquent." The age difference hadn't stopped Andrew from fucking him, and somehow that double standard sat like lead in his gut.

"Nah, he's not. All the shit he does is harmless fun. I know Kyler's aunt. She is a lot of things, but motherly isn't one of them. He's pretty much Royce's kid, so he doesn't fuck up a lot. Royce isn't one you want to defy. Kyler's a good guy." Olivia shrugged but focused on the road.

"He was raised by his aunt?" Andrew hadn't known that.

"Yep. Not sure what happened to his parents."

Andrew would have to find out. Looking Kyler up in the system wouldn't win him any brownie points, but Kyler already hated him, so he didn't have much to lose.

His cellphone rang, breaking him out of his thoughts and thankfully, forcing the conversation to end.

"This is Andrew."

He smiled when he heard Brian's voice on the other end of the phone. "Okay, so I got a thing I need your help with."

"What is that, vato?"

"We're having a dinner party thing later, and I need you to come."

"You need me to?" It sounded like Brian intended to cook up trouble because the man never needed anything from anyone.

"Yes. And before you yell, just hear me out."

"I never yell."

"Well, you're gonna start with this. You know the guy who beat Jaron a few years ago?"

Shit. "Yeah."

"He's out of jail. Not drinking or using anymore. Seems like he got therapeutic help while in the slammer. He needs a break."

"And why are you the one who thinks he has to give him one?"

"I'm not. I just think if Jaron had a chance to hear an apology and maybe an explanation, it would go a long way toward healing."

Maybe, and knowing Jaron the way Andrew did, he would welcome it because he was the forgiving type. Never held a grudge for very long and stupidly gave people chance after chance. Tracy, his son's mother, was a case in point.

That woman had been a drug addict from day one, never stopping for long, and still, Jaron had stuck with her until the very end. After her death, he'd moved back to his hometown, and it had changed his life.

"Travis won't like it." Andrew knew for a fact Travis wouldn't let Brad Flynn within a mile of Jaron. There wasn't a husband alive more protective, and Andrew doubted Travis knew Brad was out. Brad Flynn's brothers had a close relationship with the Heaths, but he doubted they'd said anything. Andrew wouldn't have if he'd been them, so maybe Travis didn't know Brad was free again. If he didn't, it might force Brad to face his past mistakes in the form of accepting Travis' rage. And there would be plenty.

"Which is why I need you to come. I'd like it if Brad and Travis avoided a hospital visit." Andrew wouldn't talk Brian out of a horrible idea, so he might as well agree to go.

"I'll be there."

Melanie Shuhmacher's house was a doublewide on a few acres of land. The trailer had been there for a long while, but she maintained it well with landscaping more beautiful than some upscale houses. It had a small deck on the front and a two-car garage to the left.

Despite the garage, a car sat in front of the deck on the lawn. If the worn grass and sandy tracks were indications, the spot was much loved.

Olivia pocketed her keys and turned to Andrew. "I'm leading, right?"

"Si." The victim would feel more comfortable with Olivia. "If she doesn't want to answer, then don't push."

Andrew intended to stay behind Olivia, which was why he got out of the car after her. He needed to take a backseat to his female officer, which meant making himself as nonthreatening as possible while he listened to the conversation between Olivia and the victim.

Andrew stood behind Olivia as she knocked on the door. When it opened, Melanie stood there. She didn't seem much better mentally than she had lying on the forest floor with her miniskirt around her waist and bruises all over her body. The bruises on her face were gone, so Andrew assumed the rest were as well, although he couldn't see most of her because of the large sweater and sweatpants. Still, enough time had passed that they should have disappeared.

The last time Andrew had seen her, she'd had streaks of makeup across her face. But her face was clear of cosmetics. She had skin that appeared as if she took care of it better than most, or maybe she just had good genetics. She was pale, though, and wouldn't meet either of their gazes.

She seemed smaller than Andrew remembered. Whatever the attacker took from her with the rape hadn't returned.

"Miss Shuhmacher, can we ask you a couple of questions?" Olivia kept her tone gentle and didn't move toward Melanie even when she stepped aside, letting them inside her home.

Andrew followed Olivia but still stood back, trying to be as nonthreatening as possible.

"There's been another victim." Olivia took a step toward her. Andrew expected Melanie to stiffen, but she didn't.

Her chin wobbled as she nodded. "I heard. Poor Gina."

"Did you know her?" Andrew had to ask because he wasn't sure if Olivia had thought about a possible connection.

Melanie nodded. "She came into the diner sometimes."

"Were you friends?"

"No. Just friendly." Melanie moved from the door after shutting it. She walked across the living room to the couch and sat, grabbing a tissue from the box on the coffee table. She wiped her nose as she spoke. "You all can sit down if you want."

Andrew sat next to Olivia on the couch. "I know you said you couldn't remember the man who hurt you."

Melanie shook her head and put her hands in her lap. Her shoulders came up to her ears, and she folded in on herself.

Olivia moved closer to Melanie, not touching, but Andrew could tell she wanted too. "You know who he is?"

Melanie shook her head again. She took deep breaths before speaking. "I remember thinking he seemed familiar. The diner maybe? I still don't know."

"Can you tell us anything about him? Besides what you told us before."

"Maybe six feet or so. Couple of hundred pounds. Dark hair, but it was kinda greasy, so that made it look darker, I think. He had a few teeth missing on the right side of his mouth. Or maybe not. I think he had all his teeth and he had lighter colored hair." She shook her head. "Sorry. It's all fuzzy. I think I told you about the teeth already. He was younger though. I remember that for sure. High school maybe."

"You didn't mention which side of his mouth, so some of it's new." Olivia smiled.

"He had a tan coat on. Like a farmer would wear, but I know he ain't one. All the farmers are regulars at the diner except for the Heath clan. The rest come in all the time." She drew her eyebrows together. "He might be a farmer. Or…his coat was made of flannel. I think. Did he change coats?"

Andrew met Olivia's gaze. Based on her expression, she had a theory. Andrew had one as well. They'd have to see if they were the same when they got into the car.

"I'm sorry. It's all fuzzy." Melanie looked as if she wanted to cry but didn't want to do it in front of them.

Andrew wanted to hug her and thank her for being alive. He didn't know how he'd handle going through what she had, but he knew making it through the aftermath was the hardest thing to do. For Melanie Shuhmacher, everything began and ended with that night. She'd relive it countless times. Wading through the ashes of the aftermath wouldn't be easy. Andrew just hoped she'd find whatever she needed to go forward through the rubble. He hoped she'd find pieces big enough to glue together. As for Andrew, he hadn't had to face a dead body. She sat there breathing, and that was something at least.

"Thank you for talking to us again. We know it's not easy." Olivia reached out but hesitated.

Melanie grabbed her and held her hand in both of hers. "You're gonna get him, right?"

Olivia tightened her fingers around Melanie's. "We'll do everything we can."

Melanie nodded and even gave a little smile.

"If you think of anything, even the smallest detail, please give us a call." Andrew put a business card on her coffee table and stood when Olivia did.

They left shortly after. Neither said a word until after they got in the car and it was Olivia who spoke first. "Two perpetrators?"

"That's what I was thinking."