Dead Woman Crossing J.R. Adler (early reader chapter books txt) 📖

“Like clockwork,” he said with a nod.

Kimberley couldn’t tell if he was proud of that fact or not, but one thing she knew, Ryan was lying.

Ryan set the Jack and Coke in front of Jeff.

“On the tab,” Jeff said, collecting his drink.

Ryan nodded.

“Where were you this morning between the hours of two a.m. and four a.m.?” Kimberley asked. She was tired of Ryan’s bullshit and with Jeff saying he hadn’t seen this mysterious couple and with Ryan being uncooperative, she figured it was time to push him.

Ryan tossed the dirty rag over his shoulder and looked above the heads of Kimberley and Sam. When he was ready to answer, he locked eyes with them, raising his chin defiantly.

“I was here cleaning and closing up. Around two, I went upstairs to bed. My apartment’s above the bar.” He folded his arms in front of his chest.

“You live alone?” Kimberley asked.

“Most nights,” he said with a sleazy smile.

“Were you alone last night?”

“You seem to be very interested in my sleeping arrangements, Chief Deputy King.”

“Just answer the damn question, Ryan,” Sam warned.

He let out a huff. “Yeah, I was alone last night. What else you want to know? What I wore to bed?”

Kimberley raised her chin. “Nope. That’ll be all… for now.”

He turned on his foot and walked to the end of the bar, as far away from Sam and Chief Deputy King as he could get.

“What you make of that?” Sam asked.

“No alibi, but nothing tying him to the murder scene. I can’t tell if he’s guilty of anything more than being an asshole.”

“He’s clearly lying, but I’m not sure why.” Sam scratched his brow.

“What about that comment from Jeff about Hannah being a hooker? Think there’s any truth to that?” Kimberley tilted her head.

“I find it hard to believe, but we’ll follow up on it.” Sam nodded.

She had had enough of The Trophy Room and was ready to get home to her daughter.

Sam drank the rest of his beer. “I’ll have one of the deputies keep an eye on Ryan in the meantime. Ready to head out?”

Kimberley nodded and stood from her stool.

18

Kimberley walked the rock-lined path around the big white farmhouse to the cottage in back. She was happy to get home to her daughter, to hold her close. It was the one thing she never took for granted, holding her baby, since she had witnessed this simple joy ripped away from others far too often.

“I got something,” Kimberley said, tossing a file folder on Detective Hunter’s desk. Lynn closed the filing cabinet and spun around in her chair.

Her swollen belly was in the way of getting close enough to her desk that she could lean her elbows on it. Lynn grabbed the folder and opened it up.

“Whatcha got?”

“I found the connection between the three victims.” Kimberley took a seat.

“Other than they were all pregnant?” Lynn raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, so we know the first victim was Jenny Roberts, a waitress from Harlem, very early on in her pregnancy. Then, victim two was Maria Velasquez, a legal secretary from the lower eastside. Victim three was Stephanie Weisman, an investment banker from Greenwich Village. The victims came from very different backgrounds, classes, etc. and it seems like they wouldn’t have anything connecting them. But they all worked at the Blue Devil Diner at some point. Maria, only a couple years back. Jenny was an employee up until she was murdered, and Stephanie worked there back when she was attending NYU.”

“How come we didn’t know this before?”

“The owner, Eddie Russo, pays his employees under the table, no tax records, no employment records. He’s owned the place for over ten years and he’s got a rap sheet. Armed robbery. Assault,” Kimberley said. “He served time for the armed robbery from age nineteen to twenty-four.”

“Motive?”

“I’m not sure. But he’s the only connection we’ve found between the three victims. Should we bring him in?”

Detective Hunter paused for a moment, flipping through the pages once more. She nodded. “Yeah, go ahead. Let’s bring him in for questioning.”

Kimberley stood from her seat. “How ya feeling?” she asked.

Lynn looked down at her belly. “I’d feel much better if we could get this case solved before I go on maternity leave, but I know it’s in good hands with you, Kimberley,” she said with a smile.

Kimberley gave a small smile back. “I’m going to catch this guy. It’ll be my gift to you and that little boy of yours.”

“You know you have to actually get me a real gift.” Lynn cracked a smile, rubbing a hand over her belly.

“Who says I haven’t? Weren’t you the one that told me not to jump to conclusions?” Kimberley said with a knowing look.

Lynn shook her head. “Jesse here is going to love his smartass Aunt Kimberley.”

“Jesse?”

“Oh, shit.” Lynn put her hand over her mouth. “I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone his name yet. Rick and I settled on it last night.”

“It’s perfect, and your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thanks, Kimberley. Now, go. Round up some officers, track down Eddie, and bring that bastard in. I’ll obviously be here on desk duty waiting.”

“You got it!” she said, ducking out of the office. Kimberley peeked her head back into the cubicle. “Try not to give birth until I get back.”

Opening her eyes, Kimberley was standing in front of the cottage. This isn’t the same, she told herself. She wouldn’t let another monster slip through her grasp. She couldn’t live with herself if she did, so Kimberley vowed to do everything in her power to bring Hannah and her family justice. So far, they had nothing to go on. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. She hoped Megan would come back with something useful, but Kimberley knew that wasn’t looking good. All she had in terms of suspicion was dipshit Ryan and maybe something would come of those notebooks she collected from Kent.

She shuffled into the house. Finding the living room empty, she walked into the dining room and as soon as she saw