Jane Doe's Return Read online

  She took a deep breath and glanced at the ceiling. “I didn’t have the most pleasant childhood. When I took off for college, I never looked back.”

  Instinctively, he reached out and took her hand. Something in her voice told him there was a whole lot more to that story, but he wouldn’t pry. Whatever it was, she was doing her best to move past it.

  She pulled her hand away, took her napkin and wiped her mouth, then tossed it on her empty plate. “I don’t dwell on it.”

  “You’ve obviously overcome a great deal to get where you are. You should be proud.” He lifted the plates and took them to the sink.

  “I am. It took me two extra years to get through college because I had to work to pay for it. I take responsibility for the outcome of my life.” She stood next to him at the sink, washing a plate with vigorous strokes.

  Gently, he took the plate from her hands. “I think it’s clean.”

  “Oh.” She rubbed her hands on her jeans, the kind that hugged the outline of her body. Right along with her not so loose T-shirt. “Most people want to feel sorry for me. I hate that.”

  “Hard to feel sorry for someone who’s taken charge of their life. Besides, we all have our demons.” He finished clearing the table to make room for the files. “Now, I want to know what you think about those cases.” He desperately needed to get his mind away from her womanly shape.

  “The only thing that comes up on all the cases is a mark on the back or the side of all the victims. In this case,” she pushed a piece of paper in front of him, “it could’ve been caused by the barbed wire on the nearby fence. This second one, it seems obvious that the killer used a knife or some other sharp object.” She tapped her finger at the picture of the girl found the day before she had arrived.

  “This one looks like the tearing of the skin could’ve been from being dragged on the ground. This other case, the one you showed me last night, looks like he might have branded her or burned her.” She never looked up. She kept her eyes and attention focused on the papers in front of her. There was a slight hitch in her voice.

  When he looked at her strictly as an agent, he had to admire her concentration. “Not strong enough.” He took in a deep breath. “Nothing really there to connect them by the scarring on their bodies.”

  She arched like a cat, rolling her fists in her back. “They’re all runaways and in their teens.”

  “True, but we need more facts in the killer’s

  M.O. which really doesn’t match, not just the victims.” She looked across the table at him. “But you think it’s the same guy.”

  The ability to speak one’s mind had always been something Travis admired in others; he liked the way she spoke her mind with him. “So do you.” He stretched his legs out and leaned back, closing his eyes. A decision had to be made. These cases were open and the FBI was investigating them as a part of the Tri-City Joint Task Force; therefore, so was she. He had to wonder whether or not he should completely trust her. And what his boss would do to him, if he found out. “Okay, maybe we should dig a little further,” he said, opening his eyes.

  “Where?” She sat up in her chair, excitement echoing from her voice.

  He’d felt the same eagerness when he’d first started. “We start with this last case and work backward, but remember, this is on the bottom of our priority list. Any calls coming into the office come first, unless some other agency or law enforcement office asks us specifically to dig up these cases—got it?” Travis closed up the files and handed them to her.

  She nodded. “It’s late. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow. I’ll walk you to your car.” Travis slipped a jacket up to her shoulders doing his best to keep his fingers from lingering too long. Then without saying a word, she found her way down the stairs toward the street.

  “Thanks for dinner,” she said as she tried to unlock her car.

  He took the keys from her shaking hands. “It was my pleasure.”

  “I want to mess up your hair.” She covered her mouth. “Oh, God, I can’t believe I just said that.”

  He winked. “Messing with my hair wouldn’t be wise.”

  She took her keys, but when their fingers touched and eyes locked, he froze. A single strand of hair fell to her cheek. Gently, he brushed the silky lock behind her ear.

  “Call me when you get back to your apartment.” He took a step back, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. Everything happens for a reason. The words of his wise grandmother. If that were the case, then why did this woman walk into his life at this precise moment in time?

  ****

  The next week flew by in a haze of paperwork and training. Shauna barely had time to breathe. Or think about the way Travis’s body decorated her office. By Friday morning, Shauna’s eyes were dead tired, along with the rest of her aching muscles. Staring at all the lab sheets on her desk, she squirmed and stretched, trying to work out the kinks.

  She picked up Jane Doe’s file and briefly closed her eyes, remembering the moments of her life before she ran away.

  One of her stepmother’s friends suggested she try and model. Since she was so tall and thin, it made perfect sense. That’s when she got the brilliant idea to run away. She took off to New York City the next week and her life had changed forever.

  Holding the unrecognizable picture of herself, she glanced at Travis across the office. Honestly, she had nothing to hide. While the psychological tests she’d taken with the FBI revealed she’d been abused as a child, her responses indicated she’d dealt with her feelings and was more than a productive member of society. The tests actually showed a highly intellectual, compartmentalized, logical person who had adjusted to tragedy and risen above it.

  Besides, from what she could gather, Travis seemed to know more about her assailant than she did. The only thing she’d be able to tell him would be the specifics of her rape. Even if Travis knew, she couldn’t identify the killer. But she could recognize the killer’s voice. Although, she’d have to hear it first. Every man who opened his mouth around her, she listened to carefully. That voice was permanently imprinted on her brain.

  She stuffed the picture in a file and looked at Travis again. He sat in his standard thinking position, feet on his desk, hands clasped behind his head, and it almost looked like he read something on the ceiling. He honestly thought Jane Doe held the key to unlocking this mystery.

  Well, she didn’t.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” he said, not looking at her.

  “Not much going on inside here. Honestly, I’m fried.” She decided to try Travis’s thinking position. She brushed the pleats and in one quick motion, she lifted her legs and…

  Crash! Thump.

  “Humph.” She gasped as she tumbled over backward. Thankfully, she had chosen pants because her legs flipped high over her head as her butt hit the floor.

  “You okay?” Travis knelt down beside her, his hand extended before she had time to react.

  She took it, giggling. “Just a bruised—uh, ego. You looked so comfortable.” She rubbed her behind.

  Leaning over her shoulder, he said, “Not enough padding back there.”

  She shot him a sideways glance. That was one of the few times he’d referenced her being a woman, besides the few awkward moments they’d shared when they locked gazes.

  She had a difficult time fighting her attraction to him and she suspected he had a similar problem. A warming sensation filled her body, but she forced herself to look away, hoping he didn’t notice how she eyed him. Not very appropriate at work. He, on the other hand, had remained the consummate professional. Until now.

  He tossed his hands wide. “Couldn’t resist. You are really thin. Like a model.”

  She looked down at her chest and peeked in her shirt. “Certainly wouldn’t make it as a lingerie model.” She blinked and then looked up at the clock. It was almost five thirty.

  Thank God the intercom buzzed before Travis had a chance to respond to her comment.

  “What’s
up?” Travis hit a button on the phone.

  “The president is on line two for you,” the receptionist replied over the speakerphone.

  Travis rolled his eyes.

  “The president?” Shauna sat back down in her chair. This could be interesting.

  He turned his back and picked up the receiver.

  “Hi, Mom,” he said, barely audible.

  Shauna bit her tongue. He put new meaning to the word ‘contradiction.’ Shauna couldn’t find one thing about this man that she didn’t like. His body was solid muscle and his smile was the kiss of death for any woman. Her cheeks heated. Thank goodness he’d been looking the other way.

  “I don’t know, Mom. I’ll have to ask.” He turned. “My mom wants to know if you’d be willing to come up for dinner tomorrow night.” He covered the mouthpiece. “She’s invited every partner I’ve ever had up for dinner. Kind of a tradition. Not a big deal.”

  “Sure, why not?” She shrugged, feeling rough, sea like sensations swish through her stomach.

  “We’ll be there,” he said into the phone, then paused. “I love you, too. Bye, Mom.”

  “Does your mother have this effect on your brothers?” Shauna stood and collected everything she wanted to work on over the weekend and placed it in her briefcase, trying to ignore his playful stare.

  “She has that effect on everyone. We all took up fishing. None of us really like it, but we get to be in control for just a few minutes.”

  A spark ran up her neck when his hand touched the small of her back. Not only was there a comfort level with him, but also she liked the way his gentle touch made her feel safe in his presence. She liked the way he smelled, like a man should smell, masculine, but sweet.

  He dropped his hand. “Hey, Steve.”

  “Travis.” Steve shook his head. “I hope he’s been showing you around.”

  “Too busy doing our jobs,” Travis said with real bite to his words as if he were defending her honor or something. Had it been anyone else, she would have stepped in, but this was her partner who always treated her with equality, even when he was being a gentleman.

  “Too bad. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ll never understand why a pretty girl, such as yourself, would want a job like this. So many other things a girl could be doing.”

  “You’re really—”

  Shauna interjected, “I love what I’m doing. I’m good at it and would appreciate it if you would knock off those kinds of comments.” It amazed her how willing Steve had been to show off his weaker, sexist side. Men had been fired for less.

  Just then Jeff Wilcox stepped out of his office. “Hey.” He slapped Travis on the back. “Got any plans tonight, Shauna? I’d love to show you around…unless Travis already beat me to the punch. Or maybe Steve, here.” He elbowed Travis in the side.

  “Buzz off, Wilcox,” Steve said in almost a protective tone. The two men seemed like opposites, except they both had issues with women, although Steve didn’t seem like a player, just insanely old school. Jeff, on the other hand, had the attitude of a womanizer. The way he slinked around the office, always checking himself out every time he passed a mirror, drove her nuts. He wasn’t bad looking with his short dark hair and constant five o’clock shadow, but dating material? Not.

  “Hey, just trying to be social,” Jeff said. “So, who wants to go have a drink?”

  “Not this time. I grew up near here and have a lot of friends I’d like to catch up with,” Shauna added, hoping everyone would just go away.

  “Not tonight.” Steve frowned and then ducked into his office.

  “Bummer. Guess I’m on my own. Another time?” Jeff whistled some tune, and with a funky spring in his step, sauntered out of the building.

  “I know that song.” Shauna rubbed her temples. “What was he whistling?”

  “I have no idea,” Travis said. “Do you want to get a drink?”

  The darkness of the parking garage sent a familiar fear rippling through her mind. She stepped closer to Travis, trying to find that sense of comfort he’d been known to give her by just being near.

  “I probably shouldn’t be going with you tomorrow. I don’t need office gossip and we are digging in places that could get you in a whole heap of trouble. Just because the Troy and Albany police departments asked us to look into possible connections, doesn’t mean Scott’s going to give you free reign. I, on the other hand, get to play dumb.”

  “Thanks for the reminder, but you can’t pull off the newbie act. You’re too damn smart.” He opened her car door for her and looked around. “And if I dare say it, too damned beautiful.”

  She tried to avoid his heavenly blue eyes, but it was too late. Another awkward moment. She couldn’t deny there were sparks. And she knew he couldn’t either.

  “I’ll pick you up at nine.”

  “In the morning?” she questioned.

  “You don’t want to make me disappoint my mother, do you?” His smile drew slowly across his face.

  Damn him. She forced her eyes closed and shook her head. “I’ll be ready.” She slipped into the driver’s seat, letting him close the door for her. “Thanks.”

  “For what?”

  “Seeing me as an intelligent person before a pretty face.”

  “Intelligent only scratches the surface. The pretty part, well, let’s just say that I don’t think I’ve had a partner who was better looking than

  me.” He winked. “Until now.”

  If she were any other woman, she would have gotten out of the car, ruffled his hair, and kissed his face off. But she was Shauna Morgan, and any physical relationship with this man would be disastrous.

  She waved and hit the gas. Travis was a dangerous man. He actually made her want to try a relationship again. Bad idea. Not only could they both lose their jobs if anything happened, but he wasn’t going to be too happy when he found out who she really was.

  Chapter Four

  The following morning Travis stepped out of his apartment and into the sunlight. The birds sang and the smell of lilacs filtered through his nose. Biting back a sneeze, he adjusted his dark sunglasses and got into his truck. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t ignore the feeling his new partner was hiding something.

  Typically, going home for a visit didn’t give him a sense of dread, but today he felt different. The piercing sun stung his eyes as he headed east toward Shauna’s apartment. He’d always been close to his family, and they knew all about his theories on who killed his sister. So did everyone in the office. It wasn’t like he kept it a secret and he was sure someone would have warned her about his little obsession as Scott called it.

  The truck jumped forward as he slapped the steering wheel. Shauna had to have known about his sister. He pulled into the parking lot in front of the lobby doors. He slammed the door shut, entered the lobby and made his way down the torn up hallway. It seemed the residence inn had started renovations.

  This new case gave him cause to dig. The same thing any good agent would do, especially when the police had no leads and suspected the girl had been kidnapped, making that particular case the FBI’s business. None of that explained Shauna’s apparent secretiveness. He’d given her all the open case files. She was smarter than most, and with access to all the FBI files, which he knew she spent hours working on, there was no way she would have missed the connection. His sister had been murdered; it was obvious she knew. So why not say something?

  Why did she had such passion for these cases in the first place? It wasn’t like it was personal for her, like it was for him. There had to be a reason she was so interested in this particular murderer.

  A sharp pain rippled from his knuckles to his wrists as he pounded on the door.

  “Coming.” The wood that separated them muffled her voice.

  “Hi,” she said, opening the door, but he turned, looking back down the hallway toward the lobby.

  The smell of warm peaches and cream filled his nostrils. He glanced over his shoulder,
catching her slight smile as she closed the door.

  “Let’s go,” he said, trying not to notice her legs. He’d seen them before, but never completely uncovered.

  After opening the door for her, he got in his pickup and headed for the Northway. He forced his thoughts from the beautiful woman sitting beside him and made himself think of a partner— partner, not woman. The one who he had begun to think had a hidden agenda. “So why haven’t you made any comments about my sister?” He glanced at her as he navigated through traffic.

  “I figured you didn’t want to talk about it. I wondered…when I got this assignment…if she might be related to you.”

  Her normal confident poise faltered a bit. He took her inability to open up as sign of mistrust. “You knew before you came here?” Long silence followed. She stared out the window. She’d occasionally twirl her fingers through her hair.

  “I’d seen the name and read some of the paperwork while at Quantico doing case studies.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “You already asked that and I answered.”

  “I want to hear your answer again,” he said.

  “I didn’t want to pry. If you wanted to talk about it, I figured you would.”

  “What do you know about my sister?” Sitting at a stoplight, he turned and narrowed his eyes.

  “I picked her case in one of my courses. I had to try to poke holes in the conviction.”

  “Why Marie’s case?”

  “My paper was on Matt Williams. I tried to prove that he couldn’t have killed Marie.”

  The truck jerked forward. “What about Jane Doe? What about the other girls’ cases he was convicted of? You include them?”

  “The paper included all convictions.” She turned and looked at him. “The D.A. didn’t bring up charges regarding Jane Doe, so I had to leave her out of it.”

  “Care to share your findings?”

  “I couldn’t find anything that compelling. I got a C on the stupid paper, but I can give you a copy if you want.”