Free Night Tides by Alex Prentiss Page A

sober. “Bullshit.”
    Marty laughed. “No, seriously, I talked to Rachel this afternoon.”
    Ethan felt the kind of relief that comes only when you’ve had more drinks than you’re used to. “Oh. Well, she’s not very grateful.”
    “No, she’s not very easily impressed. There’s a difference.”
    “I wasn’t trying to impress her, Marty. The guy was a jackass, and until somebody stood up to him, he was going to keep on being one.”
    “And that had to be you.”
    The amusement in Marty’s voice made Ethan genuinely angry. “Yes , it had to be me. If I have to hear one more self-pitying soldier whine about how the world should kiss his ass because he did a job he volunteered for and was fucking trained to do, I’ll—”
    “Whoa, calm down. I wasn’t questioning your patriotism, Mr. America. I just thought you’d use more charm on a girl as pretty as Rachel.”
    “She’s not a ‘girl,’” Ethan snapped, surprised at how defensive he sounded. “And what would you know about pretty girls, anyway?”
    “A man who drives a truck can still admire a beautiful car, can’t he?”
    Ethan barked out a laugh. “My God, that’s the best analogy you’ve got?”
    “I’m winging it. But she is a beautiful woman, Ethan. And she runs her own business, and she’s smart, and—”
    “ Wait a minute. You were trying to fix me up with her, weren’t you?”
    “Me? Hell, no.”
    “Yes, you were. ‘Oh, you have to try the food, it’s not like it was when Trudy ran the place.’ I warned you about that after you set me up with that accountant. She had five ferrets, Marty. Five.”
    “I’m just leading you to the water, Ethan. You’ll have to decide if you want to drink.”
    “I’m not very thirsty these days. Julie did a good job of almost drowning me. I think it’ll hold me for a while.”
    “Uh-huh. What happened with Julie was as much your fault as hers, you know.”
    Ethan closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The air suddenly rang with the echoes of Julie’s final tirade. You can’t just keep everything inside, Ethan. It’s eating you alive! I don’t know what happened to you in Iraq, but you’re home now and you’ve got to deal with this. You won’t be yourself until you do, and you won’t be worth spit to the next woman idiotic enough to date you! “Okay, Marty, I’ve had enough to drink that I can tell you to fuck off with a clear conscience. So screw you.”
    “You wouldn’t like it, I’d just lie there.”
    Ethan laughed as he snapped his phone shut. Marty never cut him any slack or let him hide behind excuses. It was why they were true brothers, whatever their genetic differences.
    And now, thanks to his brother, Ethan’s slightly tipsy brain once again filled with images of Rachel Matre.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    P OSTED BY The Lady to The Lady of the Lakes blog:
Females of the isthmus, the cops won’t tell you this, because they probably haven’t noticed, but watch out for a dark-red Ford pickup that might be lingering just a little too long in your area. I’m not saying there’s any connection to the girls who have disappeared, but it’s the same part of town, and it’s creepy. So watch your asses, because I’m pretty sure he is.
Until next time…
    In the work shed behind his house, the man thumb-tacked the image of a naked woman to the plywood wall. It was a large photo, in color, and the woman was arched and positioned to display herself to the most carnal advantage. Every potential flaw had been airbrushed away, except for the page folds creased across her breasts and thighs.
    The man stepped back to the opposite wall and picked up one of the short, heavy throwing knives he’d lined up on the worktable. He held it by the tip of the blade and flipped it so that the handle smacked his palm. Then he again grasped the tip and drew back his arm.
    The first knife struck the unnaturally clean-shaven spot between her legs. The next two impaled her breasts, and the fourth