Chapter 5

 "I don't know what you want me to tell you, Miss Blakely. They dusted for fingerprints and everything. There weren't any left behind and there were no signs of forced entry. Are you sure you didn't just leave the doors unlocked?"

 Nathan sat with his boss as they each had a mug of coffee following the night of someone supposedly breaking into Eve's car and planting photographic evidence of yet another homicide. This was more nerve-wracking because whoever it was had known exactly where to go, when she'd be there, which car was hers, and when she'd be leaving.

Had they watched her leave?

Had they been watching her reaction?

"They left it signed for me specifically, Nate. He wanted me to find that photo. He taped it in plain sight so I wouldn't be able to miss it." Eve squinted her eyes.

It was painfully obvious that she hadn't slept the night before. She looked stressed and exhausted, her usual calm and assessive demeanor was all but lost to the worry and anxiety of the killer having gotten so close to her and having left without a trace.

"I told you this was too dangerous. Maybe I should just call the chief now and have him reassign the case." Nathan suggested. "It'd be better on your nerves."

"No, it wouldn't. That was a direct threat, Nathan. Even if I gave up the case, he'd still be after me. It's like he's playing some sort of sick game with these girls." Eve dug her fingers into her dark hair and scratched at it. 

"Well, what about that guy you were looking into? Does he seem like the type to play these kinds of... games?" Nate suggested.

 Eve raised her head and blinked at the thought. 

Risk? The killer?

He'd known where to find her. He'd known which car was hers. He played this game of giving a little and then suddenly drawing back like nothing had happened.

"I don't know." She finally said after a moment. "I don't know what's going on in that man's head. He isn't cracking any and he's being so secretive about everything, but yet finds the nerve to call me the suspicious one."

"He's probably got something to hide then. You're probably on the right track if you can get him to break open for you." Nathan took a sip of his coffee. "I mean, from what you said before, he seemed like he liked you enough. Maybe you could use that to your advantage."

"I don't think it's that easy. Besides, I've been thinking of handing his case to someone else anyway." Eve sighed, exasperated.

 Nathan raised both brows in shock. "Really? It's not like you to just give up on a case like that. Did something happen? Did he do something to you?"

 Eve laughed and shook her head.

Oh, if only she could explain the real dilemma here. Wanting to get close to someone who was a suspect in a string of recent murders. Not only that but even if he wasn't the actual criminal, there were just too many secrets between them. Too much suspicion. 

They'd never last anyway so it wasn't like she could just put all this on hold and try to trust that it'd all work itself out. She'd tried to be lenient with all of this and another woman had died while she'd been off in Lala-land. 

"So? Who would you be giving the case to? Everyone else is swamped in paperwork and the Chief trusted you with this one specifically. It'd probably be hardest on him if you just gave it up like this." Nathan folded his arms across his chest. "I can certainly understand. I told you from the start that this was a bad idea, after all."

 Eve gazed up at the ceiling as she thought of all the people counting on her to crack this case. Even that psycho seemed to be taunting her about it. 

 Eden isn't looking so peaceful anymore, is it?

"I need to take a few days off. Get my head back on straight." Eve finally answered. "Let Chief know that I'm alright. If he needs me for some sort of emergency, he has my cell phone number and will be able to reach me easily."

 Nathan just nodded as Eve got up out of her chair and stuffed the folder into her purse while she pulled it up onto her shoulder, took the coffee cup with her, and strolled out the door with it.

"What're you looking at?" Risk lay on his couch with his fingers dug backward in his hair while Bogart sat on the floor staring back at him.

The dog only whined in response. 

Cursed canine always knew when he was feeling off and damn was he ever. However, it wasn't like he was about to just succumb to the feeling. He was frustrated, he knew that and it wasn't like he didn't know why.

He'd gone ahead with Luke's advice and in the end, it had pushed the pretty psychologist away and now she had excused herself from his case. Which meant that was probably the last time she'd be making any more surprise visits into his life and that they were probably never going to cross paths again. 

 Seriously, what kind of friend was he to practically cockblock him like that?

He could've at least had a little more fun, couldn't he?

After all, it wasn't like he didn't know how to get himself out of a bad situation if one were to arise, was it? He was perfectly capable of defending himself against a woman who wasn't nearly as tall or firmly built as he was. Years in the service had taught him enough on how to defend himself from attack.

 Right, that's why you almost screwed her in your kitchen the day you met her.

He couldn't help but scowl at the sneering tone his conscience used when making fun of him at that one little slip-up.

Okay, so he'd gotten a little bit carried away in teasing her, but it wasn't like he was fully caught up in the swing of things. He'd let her go and he'd kept his pride, even if he'd made a complete ass out of himself.

Kept his pride and lost the woman. That seemed to be about right according to his luck with getting laid.

 He groaned and sat up on the couch as he stared blankly at the floor for a few minutes. Shrugging to himself he grabbed the remote and turned on his television. The news was blaring back at him but that wasn't what made him freeze in his spot.

"...And as it would seem, though there are no connections to the serial killer as of late, it seems he's taken an interest in Miss Eve Blakely of the Eden State Police Division. No one is sure why or when this interest was taken into account but it has been noted that the Psychologist is to be taken into protective custody. We haven't been able to get a word from Miss Blakely herself but it seems that she's trying to stay out of the crossfire. Even more so, she refuses to give up the case! What a brave woman fighting back against a notorious cretin such as this inhumane individual for the lives of her fellow women here in Eden!"

 Risk sat there and stared at the nagging television set as his thoughts swirled throughout his mind. 

 She hadn't given up the case? She was fighting back against this bastard? She knew it wasn't him or he'd have heard from her by now.

 The last thought that slammed into his mind, albeit late, chilled his blood and he bolted up from the couch. The bastard was after her.

What the hell did she think she was doing taking on a killer all by herself? She didn't seem to be the fighting type so obviously she had to have some kind of plan, right? She wasn't stupid enough to just go straight to him, right?

 He grunted in irritation and paced around his house before he snatched up his keys. Bogart trotted along after him and he glanced at the dog who stared up at him beseechingly and he heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, mutt. You win. Let's go visit Miss Blakely."