Chapter 5

He felt as if this entire place was bad touching him. Huck sat across a thick plexiglass table from Rachel Raprenzi as some tech fiddled with the microphone attached to the top of Huck's black T-shirt. He still wore his faded jeans.

"Can we do his makeup and hair?" the guy asked.

"Hell no," he answered before Rachel could.

She smiled, her eyes sparkling, excitement vibrating from her. "What do you think of the new studio?"

He wished it were anywhere but in the building where he worked. He looked around at the hardwood floor and wide-screen behind them with the words The Killing Hour scrolling by. "It looks like a newsroom."

"That's what we were going for." She placed her hands on the thick plexiglass. "We want the set to be more contemporary than most newsrooms but with a podcast feel. I'm excited that you're one of our first interviews here in the studio. We just got it all set up."

"Great," Huck said, his skin itching.

She leaned toward him. "I'm surprised you called me. I feel like you've avoided me since I came to town."

Of course he'd avoided her. They'd been engaged, and she had torn apart his personal life for a story. One of his cases—a kid—had been drowned in a river, and he'd spiraled into depression after that. Oh, he'd caught the killer, but a dead kid would always weigh on his conscience. That case had catapulted her into a much better career and him to the middle of a mountain with his dog.

Looking at her, he couldn't remember why they'd ever become engaged. Yeah, she was beautiful with her blond hair and sparkling eyes and fine bone structure, but there was nothing inside her other than ambition. Laurel Snow was ambitious as well, yet she would never use another person the way Rachel would. While Laurel could appear factual and possibly cold, she was anything but.

"Are you ready?" Rachel asked.

"I am." At least as ready as he'd ever be.

Her gaze flicked to his dark T-shirt. "You could have dressed up or worn your uniform."

"I'm in the middle of a case, Rachel," he said. "Sorry, it's not the optics you wanted." Perhaps he should have worn his uniform. He glanced back at his jacket hanging over the chair. "I can put on the Fish and Wildlife jacket, if that would help?"

Her gaze narrowed. "Why are you being so agreeable?"

"Because we need your assistance," he said smoothly.

She preened. "Oh, I like that." He'd figured she would, which was why he'd said it. "Yeah, put on the jacket."

"All right." He reached for his jacket and pulled it on, zipping up. The black rainproof coat had a Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police patch on his left arm and a clear embroidered badge with a star over his left breast.

"Perfect," she said.

The tech guy moved in again and tugged the microphone off Huck's shirt to secure on the collar of the coat. "Let me at least do his hair."

Huck looked up. "You touch my hair, and I'll break your hand."

At least six feet tall with blond hair and impressive biceps, the guy grinned. "All right. I could have made you famous—or at least gotten you a date for the night." He sauntered away toward the control room.

Rachel stared at Huck. "Speaking of which, do you have a date tonight?"

He glanced at his watch. "We need to get going on this, or I'll call another podcast or channel or whatever."

"Fine." She nodded at the control room. They counted down, and then the red light above the door flickered to life. "Good evening. This is Rachel Raprenzi from The Killing Hour ," she said. "Today we have Washington State Fish and Wildlife Captain Huck Rivers in our studio with us. Thank you for meeting with me," she said, a natural in front of the camera.

"You bet," Huck answered, urgency rushing through him. Time was way too short on this one. "We actually need the public's help."

Rachel smiled. "Yes. It's my understanding that the Witch Creek serial killer, Jason Abbott, escaped from police custody last night."

"Yes," Huck said. "Apparently, Mr. Abbott faked a suicide attempt and ended up in the hospital where he was able to effectuate an escape. We need the public's help in tracking him down before he hurts anybody." A picture of Jason Abbott came up on the wide screen between the two of them.

"How did he escape?" Rachel asked.

"Apparently, he overcame a Genesis Valley police officer, knocked him out, and put him in the hospital bed."

Rachel's gaze sharpened. "You're telling me that Jason Abbott just walked out of the hospital while in police custody?"

"Affirmative," Huck said, a lump of coal settling in his gut.

She looked away and then back as if uncomfortable. "My sources tell me that FBI agent Laurel Snow was also present. How did a serial killer overcome a trained FBI agent?"

Huck lowered his chin. "Jason Abbott is a killer who took two trained public servants by surprise."

"Whose fault was that?"

"We're not concerned with fault," Huck said. They needed to get a killer back behind bars. Now. "We're focused on finding this prisoner and getting him off the streets before anybody else is hurt. To which end, we're hoping the public will report anything they see. There's a number at the bottom of the screen you can call. We have a 24-hour hotline."

Rachel shook her head. "This is the man who was arrested for murder by strangulation and cutting off his victims' hands, correct?"

"Yes."

"Yet there was only one police officer guarding him? Was this the state police, Captain Rivers?"

Oh, he didn't like this direction. He needed the local police force to work with him, but confirming the facts would be easy for Rachel to do, so he had to give her the truth. "No. It was the Genesis Valley Police."

Rachel tsked her tongue. "Why in the world would the local police be guarding such a dangerous individual? Shouldn't the FBI have had him in federal custody?"

Awareness clicked down Huck's spine. So that was going to be her angle. "Mr. Abbott was held in the local jail awaiting trial. It's a common procedure in Washington State."

"Yet, is it?" Rachel flicked her hand toward the photo of Jason Abbott on the screen. "Was this incredibly dangerous person kept local just so FBI agent Laurel Snow could gain access to him? I have visitor logs to show that both she and you have visited Abbott in jail several times."

"We have questioned him," Huck said. "It didn't matter where he was kept—we would have interviewed him any chance we got in order to gain justice for his victims. Surely you understand that, Rachel?"

She blinked twice in apparent surprise that he'd used her first name. "Of course I understand that, Captain," she returned. "Yet I find the custody arrangement odd and apparently a truly atrocious plan. Whose idea was keeping Jason Abbott in the local jail? Was it the FBI's?"

"I truly don't remember. All involved agencies agreed that Abbott would be kept at the Genesis city jail until trial."

"But he has escaped." She shook her head. "Sometimes I think the FBI just doesn't do its job. You're a state police officer, correct?"

He looked for the trap but couldn't quite nail it down. How had he ever trusted this woman? "Yes. Fish and Wildlife officers are fully commissioned Washington State Police officers."

"Did you insist that Abbott be put in a more secure facility?"

"Abbott didn't escape the facility. He escaped the hospital."

"Which truly seems like a bad idea, don't you think? I mean, looking back? Tell me, Captain Rivers, are you still in a personal relationship with FBI agent Laurel Snow?"

Huck fell back on training and kept his face expressionless. Aha. So that was where she'd decided to pounce. "I don't believe my personal life is any of your concern, Ms. Raprenzi."

"It might be the public's concern," Rachel said, her smile reminding him of a stalking fox. "If that personal relationship led to the escape of one of the most dangerous serial killers ever found in Washington State. Were your decisions colored by your relationship?"

"I don't see how they could be," he said. "But I have to ask you, is this attack colored by yours?"

She reared back. "Excuse me?"

He peered at the camera. "I'm sure everybody knows that you and I were engaged at one point. Is this attack on Agent Snow one based on jealousy?" He lacked media training, but he knew people, and he knew how to get his point across.

"Of course not," Rachel said.

Huck smiled, putting every ounce of charm he'd ever had into it. Hopefully his expression would read as sincere and confident. "Well, good then. We agree that nobody is motivated by personal relationships in this matter, and we all agree that we'd very much like to put alleged serial killer Jason Abbott back into custody for his trial."

Rachel sat back. "Of course we do. The Killing Hour is delighted to provide this public service to the entire area of Genesis Valley. So I have to ask you, Captain, word is just coming through that a dead body was found at the base of Snowblood Peak near Iceberg River, correct?"

"That's correct," Huck said. Damn it. He hadn't known the media had gotten hold of the story yet.

Rachel's face fell into perfect lines of concern. "Was the victim a woman?"

"Yes, but she has not been identified yet," Huck said. "So that's all I can share at this time." The more he thought about it, the more the idea that the victim was his mother seemed farfetched. He had overreacted upon seeing the body, and he wished he had kept his damn mouth shut. All he needed was for Rachel to hear about his statement at the scene.

"Don't you find it a terrible coincidence that serial killer, I mean alleged serial killer, Jason Abbott, escapes a hospital and then a woman is murdered the same night?"

That would probably be the headline in the online edition come morning. "We actually don't know time of death," Huck said. "She could have been murdered before Abbott escaped."

Now disbelief filtered perfectly across Rachel's features. How did she do that? And how the hell had he fallen for it so long ago? "Wouldn't that just be a terrible coincidence?" she whispered.

"I can't comment on the body that was found," he said. "We don't have enough details."

"How was she killed?" Rachel persisted in asking.

He kept her gaze and avoided looking at the camera as he gave the truth. "I don't know."

"Did you view the scene?"

That scene had planted itself in his brain. "I did, and I still don't know the cause of death."

"Were her hands still attached to her body?" Rachel asked slyly.

Huck exhaled slowly. "Yes, her hands were attached, and I saw no signs of strangulation, which, as you know, was Jason Abbott's MO." Of course, strangulation and drowning both involved loss of breath until death resulted.

"Are you telling me there might be two killers out there?"

"I'm not telling you anything other than we found a body. We don't even know if there was foul play. There hasn't been an autopsy, so let's not speculate." He focused on the camera. "For now, I need everybody on alert, watching for Jason Abbott. Please call the number at the bottom of your screen even if you just suspect something. We need the public's help."

"All right," Rachel said. "We have to go to our sponsors now."

The red light above the door blinked off. Huck yanked the microphone off his jacket and tossed it onto the table. "Thanks for your help, Rachel." He pushed his chair back.

"You really love her, don't you?"

Huck paused and then stood. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not discussing my personal life with you."

"Then how about you and I go for a drink to celebrate old times?" She leaned forward, revealing a nice amount of cleavage beneath her pink top. The sparkly and somehow professional material pared nicely with her black pencil skirt and high-heeled black pumps. "What do you say?"

"I say no," he said. "Thanks again for helping us with this case. The sooner we get Abbott back into custody, the better for everyone." He strode toward the door and paused, turning to look back. "Abbott's type is professional women with higher educational degrees, which you have. Be careful, Rachel. By recording this and going live with it, you'll definitely be brought to his attention."

Rachel smoothed her blond hair back from her face. "Huck, I didn't think you still cared."

He didn't. "I want every woman to be safe, and this interview will put you front and center." Well, behind Laurel Snow, Melissa Cutting, and most likely Dr. Abigail Caine. All three were better educated than Rachel, but there was no doubt Huck had just put a target on the reporter's back. "Be careful and watch your movements. If you feel like you're in trouble, call the police. My agency and the FBI are stretched pretty thin right now, but the Genesis Valley police force should be able to provide you with protection."

Rachel's chin lifted. "You mean the police force that just let Jason Abbott escape?"

"I imagine they're on much higher alert now," Huck said dryly. "But yeah, call them if you feel you're in danger."

She sat back and crossed her legs, hitching the pencil skirt up. "Now, Huck, we both know if I'm in danger, I'm going to call you. Right?"

He'd stopped answering her calls long ago, but as he glanced at the face of Jason Abbott still on the screen, he had to admit he had just put Rachel in danger.

If she called, he'd help her.

By the smile on her face, she knew it.