Blind Alley - Iris Johansen [36]
She moved toward him and leaned her elbows on the window. “Janis.”
This close he could see that she was even less perfect than he had thought. She bore only a slight resemblance to the true thing. Her skin was acne marked, her eyes were too close together, and her cheekbones were not nearly as defined as Jane MacGuire's.
But he could make do with the woman even though he might ordinarily have questioned if she was worth the kill. Now that the search was over he didn't have to be so selective. He pulled out the hundred-dollar bill he'd stuck in the visor. “Do you have a place we can go?”
Her eyes widened. “On Fifth Street.” She opened the car door. “I can show you a good time, but I don't do kinky stuff. No whips or ropes.”
“No whips or ropes. I promise.” He locked the door as she settled on the passenger seat. “Janis is a pretty name but do you mind if I call you Cira?”
Joe hung up the phone and turned to Eve. “A woman was found in a ditch on the side of the road outside Charlotte, North Carolina. No face. Same MO as Aldo's other victims.”
“Charlotte? That's hundreds of miles from here. Has he moved on? Should I be relieved?”
“No, it may be a copycat.” He grabbed his jacket. “Anyway, I'm on my way to make sure. I'll call you from Charlotte. Don't let Jane leave the cottage. I'll tell the guys on stakeout I'm leaving and to keep sharp.”
“But it could mean he's decided Jane isn't worth the risk?”
“Maybe. Don't count on it.”
She watched him run down the steps and stride toward the squad car. No, she couldn't count on anything but she couldn't help but have a faint stirring of hope. Charlotte was miles away and in another state. Perhaps the bastard was showing sense and knew they wouldn't let him touch Jane. Christ, that would be wonderful. It was terrible to be this relieved at someone else's misfortune.
The phone rang.
“Hello.”
No answer.
The person on the other end hung up.
Just a wrong number, she told herself as she replaced the receiver. People got them all the time. It was rude to just hang up without saying anything, but not unusual. It could have been one of those computer-generated sales calls that had gone awry.
It didn't have to be Aldo.
He was in Charlotte or somewhere near there. He'd lost interest in Jane and moved on.
Not here. Pray God, not here.
It's possible,” Joe said when he called that evening from Charlotte. “It has all the same signatures as the other cases. Ashes found near the body. Young woman. No face. She hasn't been dead for more than forty-eight hours. Very provocative attire. Signs of sexual intercourse. She could be a prostitute. CLTPD has set the Vice Squad on questioning some of the hookers in the area.”
“Are you coming back tonight?”
“Probably not. I'm going to hit the computer and check the local Vice mug book to see what I can come up with. It might be quicker than questioning pimps and hookers.”
Eve shivered. “To see if any of them look like Jane.”
“It would narrow the field. No copycat would know the women had similar facial characteristics. How's Jane?”
“Fine. The same.”
“And you?”
“Impatient as hell.”
“Me, too. Let me get to work so that I can get back there.” He paused. “I miss you. This is the first time I've been away from you for more than a few hours in years. I'd forgotten how empty I feel when I'm away from you.” He didn't wait for her to answer. “I'll let you know when I find out something.” He hung up.
She slowly pressed the disconnect. She missed him, too. He'd only been gone nine or ten hours and she was experiencing that same emptiness. Jesus, he was gone that long on cases here in town. She was being stupid.
“Was that Joe?” Jane stood in the doorway. “Is it a copycat?”
“He's not sure. It could be the real thing. They believe the victim could have been a hooker. Joe's staying over to check the mug books.” She moved toward the kitchen. “I'm opening a can of tomato soup for supper. Do you want to make some grilled cheese sandwiches?”
“Sure.” Jane wrinkled her