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likely, so a small stream flood advisory is in effect until
tomorrow morning.
Great. Jessica leaned back and closed her eyes. She
listened closely to the wind whipping around outside. It
whistled as it blew through the trees, and she could hear an
occasional branch snap in the distance. The eerie sound gave
her goose bumps. A storm was brewing and there was no
telling how big it would get.
A flash of light lit up the room, followed by an ear
splitting boom. Jessica s head shot up. Light flashed again
and she tried to remember how to count to see how far away
lightning struck. Was she supposed to add five or divide by
five? Another rumble shook the house. She didn t have to do
any figuring to know that it was close, too close.
Trying to get absorbed in something, she sat on the edge
of the sofa and turned the volume up on the television. She
rubbed Quest s head as she flicked through the channels.
He d barely moved in the last hour. Why couldn t she be that
calm?
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She wrapped a blanket around her for security and tried
to watch an old black-and-white movie but found herself
listening to the unfamiliar noises that were coming from
outside. The longer she listened, the more distorted they
became. What were they and where were they were coming
from?
The wall of glass allowed a perfect view of the storm.
She muted the television and watched in amazement as the
rain gushed from the sky. She had never seen anything like
it. The wind sent the torrent smashing against the window,
and the tall pines she dearly loved thrashed around, taking a
beating from the fierce weather. While she was thankful for
the thin barrier, she would have been even more thankful if
the glass was wood or some type of material she couldn t see
through. Witnessing the savage storm was frightening.
When the screen door slammed, she clutched the pillow
in her lap. Her blood pulsed through her veins with such
force she could feel it thump at the base of her neck. She
swallowed the knot that had formed in her throat and
immediately went in search of candles and a flashlight. It
wouldn t be long before a tree took out a power line.
In the kitchen pantry she found several candles. As she
set them down on the counter, she heard a noise outside. She
stiffened and looked out the window. All she saw was her
reflection. The room filled with light again and this time the
thunder was so strong she could feel it reverberate through
her chest, beating like a drum. She took one candle with her
and she went to her bedroom.
* * * * *
Michael sat in the Lenwood police station at a banged-up
metal desk. His wet hair lay slick against his head. His
clothes clung to his body. The umbrella that had been given
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to him at the crime scene was useless. The wind had thrown
rain in every direction. The search for evidence had been
unproductive; the weather conditions put a damper on the
investigation, so they had called it quits and came back to the
station.
Where s Dan? Scott asked.
He went home from the crime scene. He wanted to beat
the storm, Michael said.
Scott nodded. Do you think this guy is him?
I don t think it s him for the simple fact that she had her
underwear on. That s his trademark. He s not going to stop
doing it. When we find a body, he wants us to know that it s
him.
Scott rubbed his chin. Her age and race is the same as
the others. And she was found in a field.
True, but her body was found closer to town. The rest
were found at least five miles from town.
Do you think we have a copycat on our hands?
I hope not.
I ll be back in a minute. Scott rose and walked across
the room.
Michael picked up the white towel that an officer had
given him and dried his hair. He wadded it up and tossed it
on the desk next to the phone. He stared at the phone. The
sound of thunder filtered in through the station. Should he
call her?
He tried to tell himself he didn t need to talk to her, that
he didn t need to hear her voice, but he had no control over
what he felt. He would just call and make sure she was all
right, and that would satisfy him.
He dialed his number. A recording came on the line
saying that the lines were down. He slammed the phone
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down and grabbed his coat. I m going to the ranch, he told
Scott.
Are you crazy? Mike, you can t drive in this kind of
weather. Scott tried to reason with him. Just ride it out. It ll
ease up in a few hours,
Michael started walking to the door. Tell Dan I ll give
him a call tomorrow morning. We probably won t be able to
search the scene until it dries out a little. He lifted his
shoulders. But then there won t be much left when it does.
The weather The glint in Michael s eyes stopped
Scott. He had seen it before many years ago. There would be
no changing his mind. Drive carefully.
As Michael climbed into the truck, the thought hit him:
What if she had tried to call and couldn t get through? What
if she needed him?
* * * * *
Jessica turned over onto her back. She wished that the
storm would pass. Or better yet, that Michael would come
home. She felt secure in his presence. But neither was going
to happen. The storm was growing stronger by the hour and
Michael was God only knows where.
She got up and walked into the bathroom to get a drink
of water. When she tried the light switch, nothing happened.
The flashes of light lit a trail to the sink. She took several big
gulps of air as she felt her way back to the bed. She
straightened the rumpled covers and lay down.
* * * * *
Michael drove as fast as the weather would allow. He had
driven in storms like this before and knew the danger. Debris
of all kinds slammed against the truck as he turned down the
dirt road leading to the ranch. Huge bolts of lightning
spanned the sky, reaching like fingers into the night. He
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could hear the rumble of the thunder over the roar of the
truck s motor. The storm had taken on a life of its own as it
roiled above him. A loud crack clashed above him, and he
pressed down on the accelerator.
* * * * *
Jessica searched the darkness anxiously, her senses
acute. That was not the wind. She pulled the covers closer to
her body and waited. There it was again. She reached for the
phone. Who was she going to call? The police? What was
she going to tell them? She was hearing strange sounds
outside in the middle of a violent storm? That would sound
insane. She could call the station. Michael had left a note
saying he would be there. She pushed the covers back and
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