When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason Read Free Book Online Page B

dad kicked me out of the house.”
    Serena flinched. “I thought you two had kind of worked out your differences in counseling.”
    â€œWell . . . um . . . yeah . . . we did. Sort of. But . . . ”
    â€œBut?”
    â€œThat was before he found out that I’m . . . p-pregnant.” Loud sobs came from the girl.
    â€œOhhhh.”
    â€œYes.” Camille’s sobs faded to a whisper and Serena had to strain to hear her.
    â€œYou need a place to stay?” Serena asked.
    â€œNo, but . . .”
    â€œYou need some money?”
    Weeping once again filled Serena’s ear. “Okay, honey, it’s going to be all right. I have to do an autopsy. It’s going to take me about an hour, but I want you to go to the address I’m going to give you and wait for me there. Can you do that?”
    More sniffling, a long sigh, then, “Yes.”
    Serena closed her eyes and gave her the address. “See you there.” After Camille hung up, Serena stayed still a moment longer, praying for the girl.
    She continued praying even as she rolled Mr. Hanson under the light.

7
    MONDAY, 4:32 P.M.
    Dominic sat at his desk and dialed a number he knew by heart. The office hummed with busy agents, but Dominic tuned them out.
    Hunter Graham picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”
    â€œAny luck on finding my father?” Dominic didn’t bother with a formal greeting.
    â€œNope. The man’s gone. If it was him—and we think it was—he left about three hours before we got here.”
    â€œBummer.”
    â€œYeah.”
    Dominic could hear the weariness in his friend’s voice. “So what are you going to do?”
    â€œHead home. We’ve both got work to do.” He paused. “You hear anything about Jillian?”
    â€œNo. I’ve got Terry O’Donnell working on it. I should hear something soon. One way or another.”
    Hunter grunted. “The woman has disappeared from the face of the earth.”
    â€œSo it appears.” Dominic pushed a paper across his desk searching for his pen that had gone missing. “How does Alexia like working with the Columbia Fire Department? We haven’t really talked a lot about it since she got the job.” He found the pen under the next set of papers.
    â€œShe loves it. Thrilled to be back working fires. I’m not crazy about it. Scares me to death. I live for our days off together so I know she’s safe.”
    â€œYeah.” Dominic worried about his little sister fighting fires too, but that was what she’d chosen to do, and there wasn’t a thing he or Hunter could do about it. Except pray.
    Which he found himself doing on a regular basis. For a lot of people. “Bet you can think of better ways of spending those days off than tracking down a deadbeat dad.” Silence on the other end. Dominic said, “I’m sorry, shouldn’t have said that.”
    â€œDom, you know—”
    â€œI’m working the case now.”
    The abrupt change of topic didn’t faze Hunter. “Which case?”
    â€œThe one you talked me into checking out.”
    â€œThe dead girl in the park? My take-pity-on-Dominic case?”
    Dominic allowed himself a small smile. It was more the other way around—Hunter had his hands full to overflowing with all of his cases. “That would be the one. It’s now an official FBI case. I think we’ve got a serial killer running around our city and I aim to catch him before he kills again.”
    â€œFill me in.”
    Dominic did, and when he finished, Hunter said, “We’ll be back before lunch tomorrow. We’ll catch up then.”
    â€œCount on it.” Dominic hung up and turned to his computer. Before he could type the first letter, his phone rang.
    He smiled when he saw the caller. “Hi, Serena.”
    â€œHi, Dominic.” Her husky voice jangled his senses.