Free Night Games by Crystal Jordan Page B

head, her big eyes blinking, which made her look even more owl-like. “Her husband was a Fae. He died a hundred years ago. Maybe more.”
    “And she never remarried?” Damn, he’d hoped something had fallen through the cracks. Because Mary didn’t seem to fit the pattern of the other victims.
    “No, she didn’t.” Her brows drew together. “She always said she’d found the love of her life and anyone else would just be second best.”
    “Was she ever involved in a Normal finding out about magic at all?” Selina leaned forward to ask the question.
    Dorothy’s mouth opened to deny it, he could see it on her face, so he jumped in. “Really think about this, please. It may be something that helps us catch her killer.”
    She paused for a long, protracted moment, and Jack knew they had it. The connection between this victim and the others. The missing piece.
    “No. It couldn’t be something that small that got her killed.” Dorothy’s chin wobbled. “It couldn’t be.”
    He squeezed her fingers again. “I’m afraid it could be. Tell me what happened, if you can.”
    “Mary couldn’t have children. She was born without all her girl bits working correctly.”
    He blinked at the term “girl bits,” but nodded to encourage the woman to keep talking.
    “So they decided to adopt this young Normal boy. Things back then were less formal, you see, and children were often just put on trains and shipped out west to find families. And this boy ... Evan was his name. He was a sweet little thing. Sickly and small for his age, but smart as a whip. Mary just saw him and fell in love.”
    Selina sat back. “She let him know about magic existing?”
    “Well, of course,” Dorothy replied. “How else was she going to have him living with them? But ... but ... his health never did improve and he died a few years later. Mary was devastated. Cried for weeks, I’ll never forget it. But that was so long ago. Why would anyone hurt her because of that? She helped an orphan boy. She took him in and loved him and gave him a good life for the time he had left. And someone killed her for that? ”
    “We think so, yes,” Jack said quietly.
    “Oh, gods. Oh, gods, who would do such a thing?” Her chin quivered and another tear spilled down her cheek. She looked every bit like a sad, lost woman who’d had the rug jerked out from under her. Her sobs were tragic, painful rasps of air, and Jack felt each of them punch him in the gut.
    He glanced at Selina and the feeling of being gut-punched doubled. The look on her face was frozen horror. Not from this woman losing her cool, but in remembered pain. He’d seen that look on his own face in the mirror too many times not to recognize it. A flashback to memories he’d sooner forget, that wrenched at something deep and dark and ugly inside of him. Parts of himself that he’d rather let lie. It was part of the job, but he’d bet this memory was a lot more personal.
    This case hit home for her in some way. He wanted to know how.
    “Thank you for helping us fill in the missing pieces, Dorothy.” He rose to his feet and drew her up with him. “We really appreciate it.”
    He walked her out toward the reception area where security would process her out of the building. Just before they got there, she turned to him. Her hand clutched his tightly, her owlish eyes reflecting desperation, anguish, and anger. “Promise me you’ll catch this man. Promise me he’ll never be able to hurt anyone again. My sister was a good woman. She didn’t deserve this.”
    “I know she didn’t.” He touched her shoulder. “We’re going to do everything in our power to put this man away for the rest of his life. I promise you that.”
    Because there was no way he could promise he’d catch anyone. Some criminals got away, just as this one had escaped Selina once. They could only do their best and hope to hell it was enough.
    When he returned to his office, Selina sat where he’d left her, staring