Free Undercover Hunter by Rachel Lee Page A

pull out stuff people don’t realize they know.”
    “True. When you figure out the right tack to take, let me know. I feel like I’m blindfolded here, and I don’t like it.”
    Neither did he. “With one hand tied behind my back,” he added.
    “Of course. Undercover. It may make the perp feel safer, but it’s not making me happy.”
    “He disappeared once before,” Cade reminded her.
    “I know. We don’t want that to happen again. God knows how many kids he may have killed the last five years. We’ve got to stop him. A clue would be nice beyond the similarity of his victims.”
    “And that damn cargo netting. I give him points for originality on that one. There’s all kinds of ways to keep trophies, but this one is unprecedented.”
    “As far as we know, but yeah.” She drummed her fingers, resting her chin in her hand. “Was there anything unusual about that netting? And if he’s into displaying his trophies that way, maybe we should find out if anyone around here recently purchased netting of some kind. And lots of plastic.”
    “I think they’re already looking into that, but let me check with Gage. I’ll ask him about the old sheriff, too. What’s his name?”
    “Tate.”
    Cade reached for the wall phone. Landlines were more secure. DeeJay listened to his half of the conversation and picked up most of what she needed to know. The cargo net had been sent for forensics and had revealed nothing. It had been out in the Wyoming weather for too long, plus it was a standard type of netting readily available for a lot of purposes. No sign that anyone in the area had recently purchased any kind of strong net, but that was being looked into. As for the plastic, standard paint drop cloths available at a million places around the country.
    “God,” she said when he hung up. “This guy read the books.”
    “So it seems. Gage agreed to bring Tate in on this. We’ll get a call from Tate, probably this evening.”
    Cade proved he was better than average at cooking. The steaks were perfectly broiled, medium rare. Potatoes done to perfection. Frozen broccoli seasoned with a hint of mustard powder, softening the sharp taste.
    DeeJay tried to go light on the butter, but finally gave up. She wanted to enjoy this potato, damn it, and this whole meal.
    They seemed to reach a silent agreement not to discuss the case while they ate. A good thing, too, because she had been beginning to wonder if the knot in her stomach would ever go away.
    The food also gave her an excuse not to look at Cade, which she realized she had begun to do more often than necessary. Not only did he have those amazing aquamarine eyes, but his face was perfectly proportioned with a strong jaw, and just enough weathering to make him appealing to her. He was an awfully attractive man, and her motor hummed a little when she looked at him and wasn’t thinking about the case. Hummed more than a little. It remained, though, that he was a man and therefore couldn’t fully be trusted. Sooner or later, most of them proved to be egotistical idiots. She needed to focus solely on the investigation. It would keep her safe, and, more importantly, kids’ lives were at risk.
    “So, generally speaking,” Cade said, “what’s it like being a military cop?”
    “Interesting,” she said, which even she realized was a conversation ender, possibly even rude. It said nothing at all. She hesitated, torn between the need to keep her distance and the need to keep this partnership working. “I started out low in the ranks pretty much like everyone else. Doing the standard stuff—guarding, traffic, that kind of thing. But then I took a test and they decided I’d make a great investigator.”
    “I thought you were an officer.”
    “It doesn’t happen often, but I finished my degree in criminology. There was another test I took, and my CO at the time recommended me for officer training.”
    “He must have thought highly of you.”
    “I was a pain in the butt