Vicious Read Free Page A

time she wasn’t the only one depending on whether she kept breathing or not. Having those pink lines appear on that pregnancy test this morning had changed everything.
    “Sergeant, you know what I expect.” Dan’s voice drew her from the troubling thoughts. He glanced at the Birmingham Police Department cruiser waiting right behind Harper’s SUV. “Don’t lose your surveillance detail, and do not allow Chief Harris out of your sight even for a second. We have every reason to believe Spears or one or more of his followers are close. We can’t take anything for granted.”
    Harper nodded. “I understand, sir.”
    Jess gave Dan’s arm a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll be fine.”
    Dan exhaled a heavy breath but finally gave her a nod. “Don’t make me regret allowing you to stay on the job.”
    Regret was one thing she didn’t want between them ever again. Whatever happened, no more regrets. They’d both spent far too much time lamenting the past as it was. They weren’t kids anymore.
    “No regrets,” she reminded him. “Mutual respect and trust.”
    He held up his hands in surrender. “You win. Respect and trust.” That ghost of a smile he managed couldn’t have been easy but it warmed her heart.
    “I’ll be home as soon as I can,” she promised.
    Home . Jess moved toward the waiting SUV, keeping her back straight and her step purposeful. Strange as it seemed when she took the time to think about it, Birmingham was home again. She’d made a bit of a detour, spending most of her adult life far away from Birmingham, Alabama.
    Far away from Dan .
    But she was back. Spears had her rammed into a corner in many respects but she had no intention of allowing him to prevent her from living her life or doing her job.
    Right now, two homicide victims were waiting for their killer to be found.
    “Your weapon’s in the glove box, Chief,” Harper let her know as she settled into the front passenger seat and fastened her safety belt.
    “Thank you, Sergeant.” Jess claimed her Glock and held it for a long moment. Air travel restrictions and the lack of time to gain the necessary clearance had prevented her from taking her weapon with her. The Bureau had sent an armed escort to collect her and Dan from the airport in Knoxville, and then to shuttle them back for their return flight. Being armed hadn’t really been necessary.
    She drew in a deep, steadying breath. Her law enforcement career spanned more than two decades. First as a field agent and then a profiler for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and now as deputy chief of Birmingham’s new Special Problems Unit, a modified Major Crimes Division. Not having her weapon with her was like forgetting to wear underwear. She just didn’t feel comfortable.
    “Give me a rundown on what we have.” Jess stashed the Glock in her bag. Harper hadn’t given her much in his voice mail. The sooner she was focused on the case the quicker she could push aside the pain of not being able to help Rory Stinnett, the woman Spears hadn’t released.
    “The two victims, Lisa Templeton and Alisha Burgess, were last seen at Chuck’s Roadhouse after midnight last night.” Harper merged onto I-20 west/I-59 south. “They closed the joint and left together.”
    Since the vics were last spotted in a public place, maybe there were reliable witnesses who would remember whether or not the women had left with anyone.
    “The vics share a house in Homewood,” Harper went on. “A couple hours ago a friend, Stacey Jernigan, who works with Lisa Templeton, dropped by to find out why she didn’t come to work today. The front door was ajar and Jernigan went inside.”
    Even in B-rated movies, it was always the person who walked through the door left ajar or into the dark alley who ended up dead or who discovered the body. It was a miracle anyone who had ever watched a movie like that still took the risk. Morbid curiosity, Jess supposed.
    “Chuck’s is a restaurant? Bar?” She didn’t