Still Waters by Debra Webb

stood and hurried from the room.
    Sean followed. She went into the restroom, and he waited in the hall. As grateful as he was certain she felt to be cleared of suspicion, the other news had been startling.
    Learning you were the next victim on a serial killer’s hit list wasn’t exactly like being named prom queen.
    At least now he knew what the worse part was.
    * * *
    A MBER LET THE faucet run until the water was as cold as it was going to get, and then she bent forward and splashed it on her face. She gripped the sink to keep herself steady.
    The dead man, Kyle Adler, had come into her home and taken her things. He could have touched any or all of her possessions.
    Fear twisted inside her, churning in her stomach.
    He’d taken her panties into his bed and fantasized about... her .
    He’d wanted to kill her.
    He’d probably killed or been a party to the murders of those other two women.
    Amber drew in a shuddering breath as she stared at her reflection. She had been next.
    Another deep breath and then another. Calm down. She needed to get back in there and hear the rest.
    Reaching for a paper towel, she braced her hip against the sink. She patted her face and dried her hands. She could do this. Adler was dead. He couldn’t hurt her or anyone else now.
    Except he had a partner...who’d in all probability been in her house, too.
    Amber tossed the damp paper towel and opened the door.
    Sean was waiting for her. “You okay?”
    She pushed a smile in place. “I’m many things, but okay is not one of them at the moment.”
    He gestured for her to go ahead of him.
    Amber squared her shoulders and returned to the conference room. She could do this. She was strong, and she had a bodyguard.
    Jess offered a kind smile as Amber took her seat once more. “We were just discussing that you and the other two—” she gestured to the folder on the table in front of Lori Wells “—have nothing beyond being female in common.”
    Amber listened, struggling to keep her face clear of the fear pounding in her veins, as the detectives, Jess and Corlew, discussed the facts. Pettie was much taller than Amber and a little heavier. She had been on staff at one of the city’s prestigious law firms. McCorkle was average height with a tiny waist and extra wide hips. She was an architectural engineer at one of the city’s top firms. They shared no physical traits, as Jess said, except being female.
    “The common characteristic that drew Adler may have simply been physical beauty,” Jess suggested. “Or personality. Possibly body language. Whatever the commonality, he was drawn to each victim.”
    Amber wanted to know more about the partner. “How does a team of serial killers work?”
    “One is usually dominant,” Jess said. “Adler may have been the scout. He observed the target. Perhaps even lured her into a trap. The partner may have been the one to decide when and how she died. He may have been the one to make the kill, or they may have taken that step together.”
    “He left no evidence?” Amber was aware there were criminals capable of operating without leaving behind even trace evidence, but she didn’t want this killer to be one of them.
    “None we’ve found,” Harper confirmed. “We’ll continue interviewing friends, relatives, associates—anyone who knew Adler.”
    Amber appreciated their efforts. She moistened her lips and asked the question ramming into her brain. “What do I do until you find him?”
    “You take extra precautions,” Lori said. “You watch every step you make.”
    “Sean will be assigned as your personal security for as long as necessary,” Jess added.
    The churning started in Amber’s stomach again. She swallowed back the bitter taste of bile. “How long will it take to find him?” She knew they couldn’t answer that question. She, of all people, understood how these things went. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry. That was a ridiculous question.” They might never